Bengals WR, Steelers CB trade barbs

Ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) and Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) meeting for the second time this season in Week 16, WR Tyler Boyd had some choice words for Pittsburgh's sputtering locker room and made sure to point out WR George Pickens' recent lack of effort.

"It just shows the lack of camaraderie that's over there," Boyd said. "I saw a clip with [Pickens] on a pick, it kind of looked like he wasn't trying to chase it down. ... When things ain't going good, that's when your true colors show. I like to be the same player week in, week out, whether it's going good or bad for me."

Boyd has a point about Pickens, who gave up blocking on a play in last week's loss that would have resulted in a touchdown. Then again, his comments will only put more fuel on the fire with the divisional tilt just a couple of days away.

Steelers rookie CB Joey Porter Jr., who isn't shy about expressing his feelings either, already responded to Boyd to defend his teammates.

"He wouldn't know. He's not in this locker room," Porter Jr. said according to Steelers beat writer Nick Farabaugh. "His opinion doesn't matter. I feel he got a misread on it. He's not in the locker room, so he doesn't know what's going on in the locker room."

Both players will have an opportunity to let their play do the talking come Saturday. Boyd is set up to have a much larger role with WR Ja'Marr Chase ruled out with a shoulder injury, and Porter Jr. is surely looking forward to it.