Inaccurate Predictions, or Just Inaccurate Passes?
Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Okay, Steelers fans, let’s take a beat and a breath. In … and out. In … and out— like the Steelers offense on Sunday. In … and out.
Look, Sunday was bad. It was awful. I could argue it was even worse than awful due to the hype parade that followed the team around for the last month and a half.
Early this spring, the Steelers, by all experts’ accounts, were going nowhere significant. The standard-issue prediction was 9-8, solely for the fact that Mike Tomlin doesn’t have losing seasons. No one was punching their ticket for a ride on the playoff bandwagon.
Then, as the offseason progressed, a little buzz was generated by the signings and draft picks. Suddenly, the Steelers were labeled a “sleeper.” Then a training camp highlight catch here and a Kenny Pickett 5/5 preseason game there, and by the morning of the Steelers’ first home opener in years, it was destiny that Pittsburgh would beat — not upset, but beat — the San Francisco 49ers.
They did not.
Not only did they not win, they were embarrassed. The primary reason? The offense. The culprit? Kenny Pickett’s inaccuracy.
Please note that when I say his inaccuracy, I mean exactly that. Yes, the punting was less than stellar, the offensive line struggled at times, and the defense gave up 30 points. That’s all worth addressing, but none of this happened in a vacuum.
Pickett’s arm — not his decisions, but arm — got the Steelers into bad situations early. He under-threw Diontae Johnson, which led to an interception. He mis-threw Allen Robinson and Pat Freiermuth. He threw a pass that looked surely to be a second interception in the first half only to get bailed out by a Niners drop. Frankly, Pickett put balls out of reach more often than anyone could expect.
The second-year quarterback’s miscues led to a tale many Steelers fans have become familiar with in recent years. The defense can’t rest because the offense can’t stay on the field. Gaining zero first downs in the entire first quarter is not a way to set up an elite pass rush. The defense was tired, it was pushed around as the half went on, and, ultimately, it couldn’t match up with a well-oiled offense.
It pains me to put this much emphasis on the poor play of someone who I, and many others, hope is the future of this team, but he performed far below expectations. The good news is that this isn’t necessarily something that needs to be “fixed.” Pickett has shown arm talent. He even showcased some of his abilities during the two-minute-drill offense at the end of the half. There were glimpses of it in the second half, and I buy his “I had to take a shot” explanation for his second interception, intended for Connor Heyward. It was bad, but I get his point.
If Pickett can correct the course, which I believe he will, then next week should look entirely different. Don’t expect to see any schematic changes. With the exception of one very frustrating jet sweep in the first half, it was hard to find anything alarming about Matt Canada’s play calling. They were throwing towards the middle of the field to Robinson and Freiermuth, but they weren’t on target. Yes, the backs were underutilized, but when down three scores in the first half, it’s hard to expect anything more from the run game. With that comes a one-dimensional offense, and the 49ers were able to capitalize.
The defense will be fine, although the loss of Cam Heyward doesn’t help. Brandon Aiyuk and Brock Purdy certainly exposed the secondary multiple times, but they are an elite offense. The Steelers were able to stifle them down the stretch at times, and T.J. Watt proved that the line can get to the quarterback against efficient offenses.
I take solace in the fact that there is one key contributor to the downfall on Sunday. In his short time with the Steelers, Kenny Pickett has proven on-field leadership and resiliency, along with the ability to hit tight windows. And, fortunately, a loss by 23 has the same impact as a loss by one. This is a hole to climb out of, more from an internal perspective than a flawed roster perspective. Pickett and Co. can course-correct, and it’s reasonable to expect they will.
Up Next