In Kenny We Trust, But Does He?
Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire via USA TODAY Sports
As many people in challenging walks of life and will tell you, “Sometimes the best decision is just making a decision.”
As a second-year quarterback in the NFL, Kenny Pickett hasn’t adopted that mindset. At least not regularly. Fans have become disillusioned by the current state of the pass game for the Steelers. No longer are “Fire Canada” chants roaring through Acrisure Stadium. Instead, whispers through pursed lips questioning the readiness and ability of Pickett are shared from the living rooms of the South Hills to the trough urinals in the men’s rooms on the North Shore.
It’s tough to watch. Kenny has endured minimal scrutiny thanks to his alma mater and the playcalling through week 8. That luxury has now passed as all facets of the offense seem to be improving, except for a dynamic pass threat. Unfortunately for Kenny, and the fans, he seems to be one of, if not the root cause.
At first glance, it’s easy to write him off as inaccurate or incapable of reading defenses. There is evidence to back up both claims. However, there is evidence that suggests the opposite. Typically in the the fourth quarter, Kenny shines with his ability to manipulate defenses and drop the ball into a bucket. There have been glimpses early in games as well. Even against the Packers, Kenny looked smooth on his first two drives. He wasn’t throwing bombs, but his short passes were clean, his decisions were quick, and he aided a thriving run attack.
In the second quarter, though, as he scrambled to the sideline, he made an ill-advised decision that led to a nearly intercepted pass. Kenny looked different from then on. I don’t have any evidence to prove he changed, but it could be felt through the TV screen and apparently in the stadium.
Pickett looked as if he was more afraid to make a mistake than he was motivated to make a throw. This makes the fourth-quarter comebacks intriguing. Again, Kenny’s fourth-quarter numbers have been solid, they have also been almost exclusively when the Steelers are behind. In those moments, the main function of the offense is to go down the field and score. Kenny is required to push the ball down the field.
When they are ahead, the game looks very different.
Tomlin and Kenny seem comfortable managing a lead with the defense rather than looking to make big plays and putting the game out of reach for their opponents. Admittedly, there is a small sample size of plays where the Steelers have the lead, but all evidence points to a young quarterback who is afraid to make a mistake.
Despite the desire of fans to place blame on the shoulders of one individual or another, it is unclear where exactly Pickett’s paralysis in the pocket comes from. Tomlin is notorious for prioritizing the turnover margin over all other statistics. However, he also acknowledges possession downs are highly important as well. Unfortunately, those two statistics can conflict. If Pickett consistently chooses to check down to Conor Heyward on 3rd and 18, the Steelers will not ever convert if they get behind schedule. As an offense, they are certainly improving, but it’s also an incredibly fragile situation. Penalties or negative yards on first or second down have been death sentences for drives.
There is no clear-cut fix, simply because there is not definitive root cause of Kenny’s inability, or unwillingness, to target the middle of the field. As the second half of the season progresses, it will be something to keep an eye on. Is Tomlin sacrificing the development of a young quarterback to keep games within reach? Or has Kenny Pickett reached his ceiling? Time will tell, but for now, I still, hesitatingly, believe the Steelers have their quarterback.
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