Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens provided the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ defense with some bulletin-board material ahead of their Week 8 matchup, saying the Jaguars had a “hope defense.”

Pickens was referring to Jacksonville’s secondary, which has struggled mightily all year long and had especially labored in the several weeks leading into the clash with the Steelers.

Well, needless to say, the chatter backfired on Pickens.

Jacksonville defeated Pittsburgh by a score of 20-10 on Sunday afternoon, and Pickens—the Steelers’ No. 1 receiver—was held to just one catch. Sure, that one reception was a 22-yard touchdown grab, but it was still a rather miserable output after talking all of that trash.

After the game, Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard responded to Pickens.

“Never put pressure or expectations on yourself,” Wingard said (h/t JPAFootball). “George, do better.”

Wingard finished with six tackles and an interception on the day.

One catch actually represented what was, by far, Pickens’ worst outing of the year. His previous season low for 2023 was three catches, which he posted back on Oct. 1 against the Houston Texans.

Not only that, but in the two games prior to the Jags meeting, Pickens had racked up a total of 11 receptions for 237 yards and a touchdown, so being held to just one grab on five targets (also a season low) was certainly a reality check for Pickens.

On the season overall, George Pickens has logged 28 catches for 522 yards and three scores.

The 22-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Georgia, was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

He caught 52 passes for 801 yards and four touchdowns in an impressive rookie campaign.

Needless to say, the youngster obviously still has a lot to learn. Hopefully, he remembers this going forward.

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