PITTSBURGH – 20 seconds and 60 yards separated the Pittsburgh Steelers from a fourth straight loss or a miraculous comeback when quarterback Russell Wilson uncorked one of his signature moonballs to George Pickens.

But similar to the three previously thrown picks, this one fell incomplete as it sailed past the receiver’s outstretched hands and hit the turf. Pickens had beaten his man, but the pass was too long and the wide receiver couldn’t adjust in time.

In a vain attempt to adjust to the ball late, Pickens jumped backwards, fell to the turf, and staggered until he came to rest slumped on the sideline.

It was a fitting penultimate game for the duo, who couldn’t get on the same page during the Steelers’ 19-17 regular-season finale loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Pickens, who did not speak to the media after the loss, finished with his worst game of the season: one catch on five targets for zero yards and three drops. He also appeared to become heated toward the stands behind the Steelers’ sideline toward the end of the game, gesticulating and pointing beyond the bench as tight end Pat Freiermuth tried to calm him down.

Still, after the game, Wilson expressed confidence in the mercurial Steelers’ 2022 second-round pick.

“I believe in George,” Wilson said. “Listen, everything isn’t always perfect for everyone. This is an imperfect game and everything else. I believe in George, I believe in who he is, the player he is.”

“He has been a star for us all season and will obviously make a 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.” I squint at George. If anyone believes in him, I definitely believe it.

Heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale, Pickens’ lowest production of the season was three catches on seven targets for 26 yards in the Week 5 loss to the Indianapolis Colts with Justin Fields at quarterback. However, in seven games with Wilson at quarterback, Pickens averaged 76 yards per game while active. He also caught three touchdown passes from Wilson in that stretch, his last in the Week 13 win over the Bengals, where he caught three passes on six targets for 74 yards.

To explain Pickens’ inconsistency, Wilson pointed out that the wide receiver’s absence in three games was due to a hamstring injury. Pickens missed Weeks 14 through 16 and returned for the Christmas loss to the Chiefs, where he caught three of seven targets for 50 yards.

“It feels like he hasn’t played games in forever because he was out for three weeks,” Wilson said. “I mean, it’s hard to put it all together and look back and think, Oh yeah, he hasn’t made a play in five weeks. Well, he missed three of them. So for some reason last week didn’t go our way.” Tonight obviously didn’t go our way. And I think that sometimes things didn’t go that way for great players that day.

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

However, Wilson targeted Pickens just once in nearly three quarters Saturday night.

“I think it was natural the way the game unfolded,” Wilson said, dismissing the idea that Pickens wasn’t involved because he was being used as a decoy.

Wilson targeted Pickens early with a quick screen on the Steelers’ second play, but cornerback Josh Newton slipped around Ben Skowronek and blasted him to prevent the play from gaining traction.

Wilson didn’t target Pickens again until five minutes before the end of the third quarter. This time, Pickens dropped the ball as cornerback DJ Ivey chased him.

“Everyone who guarded him ate today,” Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt said. “They didn’t do anything. So that was good for us, man. That is your inspiration. And we didn’t let them not get momentum.”