Overreactions from Steelers Nation: Kenny Pickett isn’t “the guy”
Welcome to my weekly edition of “Overreactions from Steelers Nation” a weekly column where I poke fun at fans, reporters, and so-called experts while trying to figure out if some of these hot takes are real – or just for attention.
This week’s edition of my usual “overreactions” column is a little tougher to write. That’s because, for the first time since he was drafted last season, I’m sensing an overwhelming change of heart for hometown hero Kenny Pickett.
Of course, the nonsense is a knee-jerk reaction by (mostly) casual fans who have neither patience nor realize the Cleveland Browns have a really good defense this season.
Traditionally, the Browns had been a doormat for teams to walk all over. Ranking first in team defense and multiple other categories, Cleveland was going to put up a substantial fight against Pittsburgh no matter who started under center for them.
That’s as large of a tale as to understanding the sudden turn toward Pickett. While I’m sticking up for Kenny in this article, it doesn’t mean he’s had a good season. Actually, far from it.
But to understand how we got here is also why we shouldn’t acknowledge some of the kneejerk reactions. Somehow the fans realized the offensive line was bad and offensive coordinator Matt Canada is even worse, but that’s now trickled through to benching Pickett too.
“He’s had his chance!” is what they say.
Mind you, this is the same crowd that wants to hand the ball right back to Mitchell Trubisky, who’s had 55 career starts to prove he’s not an NFL starting quarterback.
Pickett? He’s had 22 starts so far, not quite two full seasons of NFL football. (Which by the way, is more than another Steelers quarterback, Mason Rudolph, who also “had his chance” with only ten career starts!)
In those 22 starts its evident that Pickett is starting to show signs of regression. From last season through training camp and exhibition games, I was excited to see Kenny’s development but was also cautious in stating it would take a full three seasons to get to know if he’s “the guy” or not.
Unfortunately, Pickett has had plenty of stop-and-go moments in his early career that could be cause for his below-the-line play. He was concussed – more than once – last season, which caused him to be sidelined for several games.
Pickett also didn’t begin his rookie season as QB1 on the depth chart. In fact, he wasn’t even QB2 until after the preseason dust settled – and didn’t start his first game until Week 5 on the road against the Buffalo Bills. Pickett finally had his first full camp as “the guy” this offseason. Preseason games showed lots of promise, but the offense instantly struggled up until a few weeks ago, where they finally found a balance with the run game and were able to score on opening drives – and then some.
That could also be attributed to playing against tough opponents to start – including the Browns and 49ers – plus Pickett having knee and rib injuries. Though he isn’t listed on the injury report as limited in practice, looking at the second-year quarterback going through the motions looks like he’s limited in his play.
Recovering from injuries in-season is difficult. It’s also difficult to learn on the fly when play calls are amateurish at best and the offensive line fails to give the young QB enough time to go through progressions. (And he also got poked in the eye in this game while lunging and losing his helmet on a fourth down conversion!)
The result is a product that looks as bad, maybe even worse, than when Rudolph traded starts with Devlin Hodges (i.e. “Duck”) back in 2019. The Steelers offense has sputtered since, and is now on their second OC that has failed to produce a 400-yard game.
Heck, the Steelers offense hasn’t outgained any of their opponents this season. And that is a huge problem.
Just looking at the Browns game, Pickett should’ve been sacked for a safety on the game’s first play. How on Earth can you expect this guy to do anything but get the ol’ happy feet to protect himself and not give up negative yards on a continuous basis?
Yes, I’m aware the film analysts online will pick apart spots where Kenny missed open receivers. The problem is when those receivers are the third, fourth, or even fifth option. Is he being told to stick with the primary receiver? Does he even have time to find the second option, let alone a third or beyond?
I’m going to say yes and no.
He’s obviously getting in his own head when it comes to timing. Yet, the plays drawn up for this offense often take too much time to develop, leading to check-downs to Jaylen Warren on every play.
Tight ends are usually a young quarterback’s best friend, yet they’re noticeably absent from the plays called by Matt Canada. Pat Freiermuth or Darnell Washington have to help block, because the line is so bad, and it’s usually too late once they chip and peel off to get open. (If and rarely when they are.)
There are times the offense shows flashes, such as Pickett finding WR George Pickens one-on-one for a game-winning touchdown against the Ravens.
But far too often we see the same inability to generate even a first down, as was evident in two different fourth-quarter drives that could’ve generated a victory.
To be honest, I’m not sure if all of the above factors are the issue, if Pickett’s the issue, or if it’s all of the above. My hope is that a bright young quarterback hasn’t been ruined by poor coaching in his early career. Far too often we’ve seen first-round picks go the way of the dodo after being dropped into a sad situation or going through too many coaching changes.
My word of caution for Steelers Nation is this: don’t turn your back on a guy who clearly needs support. We’re all aware of the hurdles this team is going through – and your impatience to replace a future Hall of Fame quarterback (Ben Roethlisberger) is showing.
Pickett has gotten the Steelers to a 6-4 record thus far with one of the easier remaining schedules in the NFL. There’s still a chance the best is yet to come. The team won’t be making any major changes in their top investment soon, with the same hopes.
Until then, and only until then, will we know if Pickett is “the guy” or not.
