Despite plenty of criticism for the decision, the Steelers chose not to bench Pickens after his lack of effort. That paid off immediately as he caught an 86-yard touchdown pass on just the second offensive play for Pittsburgh.
He then caught three more passes and finished the night with 195 yards and two touchdowns.
The Steelers moved to 8-7 on the season with a chance to climb back into the playoff race. Behind Pickens’s dominant performance and a breakout game by Mason Rudolph at quarterback, Pittsburgh will look to carry their momentum into Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks.
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