In a big home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, who needed a win to secure the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers had the worst performance of their career from standout wide receiver George Pickens, who ended the regular season in a pretty frustrating way Way.

Against the Bengals, Pickens had just one catch for zero yards on six targets. He also dropped three passes in the game.

Despite that tough night, veteran QB Russell Wilson has every confidence in Pickens now and in the future.

Speaking to reporters after the 19-17 loss to the Bengals that dropped the Steelers to 10-7 on the season, Wilson supported Pickens after the disastrous night.

“Yes, I believe in George. Listen, not everything is always perfect for everyone. This is an imperfect game and all. I believe in George,” Wilson said of Pickens, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “I believe in him, the player he is. He was a star for us all season. And of course he will make the crucial difference for us in the playoffs. I look forward to it and what he can do, what we can do together.

“And I don’t keep an eye on George. If anyone believes in him, I definitely believe it.”

Going into the game, Pickens needed a boost after coming under fire on Christmas Day against the Kansas City Chiefs for his route running and perceived performance on the Wilson interception in the end zone. This also led to a tense media session on Thursday before the game against the Bengals.

The last time Pickens played at home against the Bengals, he had four receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the 2023 season, securing a blowout victory. Therefore, expectations were high for Saturday night’s matchup. But then Pickens had a hard time catching the football. He dropped a deep shot down the Steelers’ sideline, then dropped a break-in route and later let the ball pass through his hands on a stop route.

It drew boos from fans who had pretty much had enough of Pickens.

Wilson, however, backed his receiver, knowing he’ll need him in the playoffs next week, be it in Houston or away in Baltimore.

“Yeah guys, I think he missed three weeks, you know? It feels like forever, it feels like he hasn’t played games in ages because he was out for three weeks, right? It’s hard to put it all together and look back and say, ‘Oh yeah, he hasn’t made plays in five weeks.’ Well, he missed three of them,” Wilson said of Pickens. “So last week for some reason didn’t go our way, or I know a week and a half ago, whenever, and tonight obviously it didn’t go our way. And I think that sometimes with great players things don’t go that way on the day.

“But if anyone believes in George, it’s me. I don’t hesitate to throw him the football and show what he can do and what he means to us, our football team and the rest of the boys too.”

After being sidelined for three weeks with a hamstring injury, Pickens found it difficult to get back on the bandwagon. He only had four catches for 44 yards to finish the season after being pretty dominant for most of the year.

Pickens and his quarterback need to regroup quickly. The belief comes from Wilson. This belief must pay off for Pickens in the next game.