CLEVELAND — For the sixth time over their past seven games here, the Pittsburgh Steelers headed home without a win.
George Pickens has lost each of the three games in Cleveland since he entered the league in 2022. But after Thursday’s 24-19 loss, Pickens evoked similar words about the Browns to that of his predecessor as the Steelers’ No. 1 wide receiver.
“I don’t really think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all,” Pickens said after a game during which snow increased in intensity throughout. “I think the conditions kind of favored them today.”
Speaking to a small group of Pittsburgh-based reporters not long after he finished with a stat line of four catches on seven targets for 48 yards, Pickens repeatedly made it clear he felt the Browns (3-8) were winners against the Steelers (8-3) in large part because of the weather equalizing things and some officiating calls.
“The conditions played a huge factor in today’s game,” Pickens said. “The conditions and the away-game refs.”
George Pickens fighting Greg Newsome during the Hail Mary LMFAO pic.twitter.com/1QT1sN1w5o
— Clay Fink (@clay_fink) November 22, 2024
During the Steelers’ last-second Hail Mary attempt, Pickens was engaged with Browns cornerback Greg Newsome while the ball was in the air. As it landed, Pickens was shoving Newsome well out of the back of the end zone over a padded wall into an empty row of seating. It appeared punches were thrown.
Asked about what was going on during the sequence, Pickens just replied, “I don’t know.”
The Browns hung on to beat the Steelers in the snow.
George Pickens got into it with Greg Newsome next to the stands in Cleveland as the game ended and was held back by security.
Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit with the call for Amazon Prime Video. ????????️????️ #NFL #TNF pic.twitter.com/A8ej27F9cw
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 22, 2024
Stadium security intervened to break up the skirmish between Pickens and Newsome.
For his part, Newsome told Cleveland reporters, “I don’t think (the Steelers) respected us.”
About an hour after the game ended, a post to the X account of Newsome read: “Fake tough guy” following by laughing emojis in what was a thinly aimed shot at Pickens.
Fake tough guy ????????????
— Greg Newsome II (@gnewsii) November 22, 2024
Newsome had similar comments for Cleveland media.
“He’s a fake tough guy,” Newsome said. “He does a lot of that. The antics and stuff. Yeah, he didn’t even go up for the ball. He was just trying to do ‘WrestleMania’ with me the whole time. So that’s what happened at the end.”
Pickens’ comments about the Browns’ level of play were reminiscent of when former Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said in advance of a January 2021 playoff game against Cleveland, “The Browns is the Browns.”
Cleveland ended up winning at the Steelers in a wild-card game.
