Is Steelers' George Pickens just a sore loser? Or does Mike Tomlin have bigger issues with star WR?

North Shore Drive podcast - Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and more

On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko to react to receiver George Pickens' latest outburst in his team's NFL Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Was the scrap with Browns CB Greg Newsome II just the latest example of Pickens failing to lose with grace? Or does coach Mike Tomlin have a bigger behavioral issue on his hands? How do Pickens' maturity issues compare to headaches created by predecessors like Antonio Brown and Chase Claypool? And is Pickens feeling the pressure of being the Steelers' one consistent receiver to this point, with Calvin Austin III, Mike Williams and Van Jefferson all struggling to draw regular targets?

Our duo tackles those questions and more in the later segments. Including: Should we worry about the defense in late-game scenarios now that it's yielded final drive touchdowns in three of its last six outings? Is the unit too reliant on T.J. Watt to make game-clinching plays? Should Russell Wilson and the Steelers really be underdogs to Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and the Bengals this week? What should we make of Week 12 results involving the Chiefs, Texans and Broncos? And what should we watch for in the AFC North rival Ravens' Monday Night Football matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers?