Justin Fields is the ultimate leader Steelers know George Pickens can't be

The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost two straight games after a 3-0 start, courtesy of losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, which will naturally lead to some tension in the locker room. At the center of that tension if Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. It wouldn't be Pittsburgh without a wideout with some baggage.

As talented as Pickens is, he runs lazy routes when he's not getting the ball, isn't always the best blocker for his teammates and tells a story with his body language. At least one of Pickens' teammates is tired of his act, as told by Dejan Kovacevic after Pittsburgh's loss to Dallas.

"One veteran on offense told me it was a 'perfect ball,' adding that its placement just in bounds was precisely where the receiver would've been had he bothered running," Kovacevic wrote. "Sounds like a problem, I responded to this veteran. At which point a series of invectives were spat out regarding Pickens, and I'll keep all the rest between us."

Now, if Pickens turns right around and scores a couple touchdowns against the Raiders on Sunday, all could be forgiven. If not, the Steelers have a problem. Add in that Pickens was reportedly fined for wearing eyeblack with an expletive about his inability to be covered -- ironically while being blanketed by Cowboys defensive backs Trevon Diggs and Jourdan Lewis -- and it doesn't paint a pretty picture.

Justin Fields doesn't give the media what they want when asked about George Pickens

For the most part, Pickens teammates who have spoken on the record have come to his defense, or had his back. They know how important he is to the offense, especially considering the lack of other weapons on the outside (paging Omar Khan!). Justin Fields spoke on Pickens frustration last week, and gave an A+ answer.

"I mean it's tough," Fields said. "You definitely gotta feel for him. He's just passionate about the game like we talked about earlier this year. He knows how great of a player he is ... I try to talk to him on the sideline, keep him up. I think that's the biggest thing, you know, keep him going, and just try to talk to him throughout the whole game and stay in his ear and say 'We're gonna need you to make a play soon, and when it happens, we're gonna need you'. So, the biggest thing is being patient and him waiting for the ball to come his way, because at the end of the day, defenses know that we're trying to get him the ball, so they're gonna game-plan and do what they can to try and stop that."

Fields is smart to discuss Pickens in this manner. When the Steelers need him, which could come as soon as this week, they need the third-year Georgia product to stay ready, with his head in the game. However, that's becoming a tougher ask every game.