Steelers’ Pickens belittles Browns, blames loss on snow, refs

CLEVELAND — Although the Cleveland Browns snapped the Pittsburgh Steelers’ five-game winning streak with a 24-19 victory Thursday night, Steelers wide receiver George Pickens downplayed the Browns’ ability and blamed the loss on heavy snow that fell throughout the game.

“The conditions played a huge, huge role in today’s game,” Pickens said. “I don’t think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all. I think the conditions kind of saved them today.”

Pickens had an opportunity to make a late touchdown catch, but the receiver said he and Wilson couldn’t connect in the end zone because of the snow.

“The snow, the conditions were so bad,” he said. “I don’t even think the QB could see sometimes. And when you get conditions like that, on the opponents’ home field, it kind of works in their favor.

Pickens, who finished with four catches on seven targets for 48 yards, also blamed the officials for the loss.

He took issue with the officials not calling pass interference on cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. during a deep pass attempt by Justin Fields in the fourth quarter while gesturing to them after the play. Although Pickens fell as the pair ran down the sideline, the contact appeared to be minimal and officials did not throw a flag.

“That’s what I’m saying,” Pickens said when asked about the play. “The Conditions and Away Referees.”

As the final seconds ticked off the clock Thursday night, Pickens was involved in an apparent altercation with Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II during the Steelers’ Hail Mary attempt. In the locker room afterward, however, Pickens said nothing happened in the end zone with Newsome.

Newsome was straightforward about the situation.

“Fake tough guy,” the cornerback told ESPN, repeating a post on social media he did on X after the game.

Pickens appeared to be locked in with Newsome as the pair ran into the end zone during the play. As they exited the back of the end zone, Pickens appeared to hurl Newsome toward the stands. The pair then fell to the ground, and after they got up, Pickens was restrained by stadium staff as they tried to de-escalate the situation.

Fellow Steelers wide receiver Mike Williams came over to help contain Pickens.

“I don’t know what was going on,” Williams told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I was looking for him and then I saw him in the stands so I just went over there to get him. I don’t know what was going on.”

After Thursday night’s game, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett also fueled a feud with Steelers pass rusher TJ Watt, a feud that stems from Garrett winning Defensive Player of the Year over Watt last season.

“I wasn’t really looking at what he was doing,” said Garrett, who recorded three sacks in the first half and increased his season total to 10. “I was really just focused on going out there and playing the very best ball I could. But yeah , I wanted to make it known that I’m the guy, I’m the No. 1 defenseman, that was a statement I intended to make and I think I made it.

Garrett won his first Defensive Player of the Year award after recording 14 sacks last season. Watt, the NFL’s 2021 defensive player of the year, had a league-leading 19 carries. The night Garrett received his award, Watt wrote on the X, “nothing I’m not used to.”

On Tuesday, Garrett was asked about Watt’s reaction, saying, “I’ve never complained about the trophy not being at my house and vice versa. He shouldn’t have two ways of knowing it’s going to me. So just playing the game I’m not playing against TJ, he’s not playing me grappling this year and we’ll see the best man win.”

Watt, who has 7.5 sacks this season, finished the game with four combined tackles and a tackle for loss.

ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi contributed to this report.