George Pickens rips NFL referees after Pittsburgh Steelers' Wild Card exit against Buffalo Bills
On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers' season came to a grinding halt after their 31-17 Super Wildcard Weekend loss in the delayed game against the Buffalo Bills.
The visitors fell behind 14-0 but rallied to cut the deficit to seven in the final quarter. Despite their best efforts, they couldn't mount a comeback. The team's wait for a playoff win has now been extended to eight years.
After the game, wide receiver George Pickens accused the refs of favoring the Bills. He told reporters in the locker room:
"You can't play the Bills and the refs at the same time. When you are out there, you are trying to make the plays you can personally. And then they are taking away plays. Calling holding on Myles Jack. They are calling PIs that aren't catchable. So just go back, watch the game, watch the refs in the game."
Pickens was upset about the missed pass interference call late in the fourth quarter. With 4:53 left in the game and the Pittsburgh Steelers down 14, they faced a 4th-and-3 at their 32-yard line.
Pickens tried to get open, but cornerback Dane Jackson swarmed the wide receiver and forced an incompletion. Replays suggested that the Bills player made plenty of contact with Pickens beyond the line of scrimmage and should have been flagged for pass interference.
The referees missed the call, which gave the Bills the ball back and ended the game as a contest. George Pickens will likely receive a huge fine for his comments. However, he knew that when he voiced his grievance.
Mike Tomlin mum about future as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach
During the post-game press conference, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about his future with the franchise. The veteran coach exited the podium as soon as the reporter finished asking their question:
Tomlin wrapped up his 17th season as the head coach of the Steelers. He has famously never had a losing season during his time with the franchise. However, the Steelers have had only two 10-win seasons in the last seven years.
Tomlin and the Steelers last won a playoff game in 2017. They are 0-5 in the last five playoff games. While Tomlin's 17-year streak of at least a .500 record is commendable, they haven't made any progress under their head coach in the last five seasons.
Tomlin has one year left on his current contract with the Steelers. If the two sides don't reach an agreement, the 2024 season could be his 18th and last year in Pittsburgh.