George Pickens throws helmet in fury after egregious no-call vs. Bills

George Pickens was fuming in the fourth quarter of the Buffalo Bills' Wild Card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and who could blame him?

The Steelers wide receiver was so furious about a pass interference no-call in the final minutes that he chucked his helmet at the sideline like he was a Bills fan throwing a snowball.

Steelers WR George Pickens was furious over critical no-call vs. Bill

The background behind that video makes it far more understandable. On fourth-and-three with under five minutes to play, Mason Rudolph tried to find his No. 1 receiver on a slant. The pass fell incomplete thanks in no small part to a whole lot of contact by Bills defensive back Dane Jackson.

That's the kind of contact that draws a flag in most games in the NFL. Pickens' frustration reflected that as a crucial Pittsburgh drive ended.

It was realistically a long shot for the Steelers to complete the comeback. Still with that much time remaining in the game, capping that drive with a touchdown could have given them a chance. The refs keeping their flags in their pockets essentially killed whatever hope Pittsburgh had.

The Steelers dug themselves into a hole in the first half. While Pittsburgh punted or turned the ball over on their first six possessions, the Bills built a 21-0 lead on touchdowns from Josh Allen to Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid, then a highlight run for a 52-yard score for the quarterback himself.

The comeback bid began in the final two minutes of the first half. Diontae Johnson caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Mason Rudolph. In the third quarter, the two teams traded field goals. Then Calvin Austin cut the deficit to just seven points with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

It ultimately wasn't enough. Rudolph and company couldn't generate any more points, falling 31-17.