Mike Tomlin explains why George Pickens played less vs. Cowboys

PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens had just the third most snaps out of all wide receivers in their 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys . Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III each outsnapped Pickens, who played just 34 out of 58 possible snaps, while the other two played 47 out of the 58 possible snaps.

Pickens wore eye black that read 'Always (expletive) open' during the game. Head coach Mike Tomlin declared that there was no deeper story behind it; instead, the team was trying to get more out of Pickens in limited snaps.

"We just wanted to minimize his reps in an effort to get more productivity," Tomlin said. "We're just trying to rep manage in terms of the totality of the big picture. He wasn't less of a focal point in terms of our intentions of what we wanted to do offensively."

Tomlin would go on to compare that to Cam Heyward and his reduced snap count. The Steelers took multiple players out at a time, with Najee Harris missing a drive and Pat Freiermuth doing the same at other points.

"It's no different than we minimize some of the snaps of D-linemen like Cam Heyward," Tomlin said. "It's just about snap management. There's no underlying story, to be quite honest with you."

Heyward played 55 total snaps on the night. After the game, Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis called Pickens 'weak' and stated that the Steelers needed another wide receiver.

The Steelers have been in trade talks for a wide receiver to pair with Pickens for weeks to try and strengthen their offense across the board.

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