There Is No Place Left For Kenny Pickett To Hide
Nov 12, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) passes the ball against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
If Matt Canada was enemy No. 1 for Pittsburgh Steelers fans, Kenny Pickett is becoming a close No. 2. The second-year signal caller has undeniably regressed, and the Pittsburgh offense is paying the price.
From a lack of accuracy to indecisiveness with the football, Pickett, for the most part, has not played winning football. Blaming Canada, while warranted, was the easy way out due to the high draft pick the Steelers spent on the QB out of Pitt.
With Canada out of the way, this is an enormous opportunity for Pickett to show he can be the guy moving forward. If his development was really being hampered by the offensive philosophy, he can change that narrative over the final seven games.
With a new offensive coordinator and play caller at the helm, there are a lot of moving parts that must be fitted together for the offense to get a kick start. With that said, Pickett is also now directly in the crosshairs, with no place to hide.
What’s Gone Wrong
It seems that the Steelers’ starting quarterback has lost his confidence. After early jitters as a rookie, Pickett came on late and became unflappable.The final seven games of last a season, while not perfect, showed promise and progress.
All of that disappeared starting in Week 1 of 2023 versus the San Francisco 49ers. Pickett’s indecisiveness is the big problem. Throwing late down the field is a clear sign he has lost his nerve. It has gotten so bad that in the last contest against the Cleveland Browns, he made one read and immediately checked down to backs.
Kenny Pickett Week 11 passing chart versus Browns via @NextGenStats #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/0IyRvl8SvP
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) November 19, 2023
As you can see, only eight of his 28 pass attempts traveled more than 10 yards. Only one would be considered in the middle of the field. This is an area he must attack to get the pass game moving.
While we can blame Pat Freiermuth’s injury for Pittsburgh’s absence in the middle of the field, Pickett didn’t have a problem last season going to receivers other than the big tight end over the middle.
Unleash Kenny Pickett. pic.twitter.com/djhy8KbfFJ
— Beamer (@BeamerEra) November 21, 2023
Pittsburgh must get this version of Pickett back to have a real chance to make a playoff push.
How He Can Fix It
Diontae Johnson and George Pickens are valuable weapons on the outside that have been underutilized. If we are to assume that the Canada offense held them back with limited route tree, the new scheme must open them up.
Pickens’ route running has come to a standstill over the last four games. His quarterback needs him to be a more complete route runner now more than ever. He claimed he was a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver in the offseason. It’s time we see it on the field.
Johnson is a different case. He is by far the better route runner, but his hands can sometimes fail him. With a quarterback in need of his best, now is not the time for a case of the drops.
Pickett needs to give both receivers a chance down the field, even when it appears they are covered — especially Pickens. His catch radius is unbelievable and can be counted on to make those tough contested catches. He just needs more opportunities.
Pat Freiermuth has been absent of mostly ineffective this season due to a hamstring injury. With him easing back into the fold, this can’t help but open things up in the seams on a defense.
A solid running game and improved protection will also help Pickett perform better. The running game has found something it likes with downhill running and quick hitters. A young quarterback’s best friend is a good ground attack. The more the line can continue to open holes in the run game, the better the play-action pass can be. This was another aspect of offensive play calling that Canada almost refused to utilize.
Out Of Excuses
If Canada was the problem, then problem solved — he is no longer with the organization. Pickett has plenty of weapons to distribute the ball to. The running game has found its stride. Everything is set up for the second-year signal caller to now succeed. Will it be perfect? Of course not. But if things go wrong, who else is left to blame?
Sooner rather than later, Pickett must make a stand with his play. There is no time for down years in the NFL, especially from a young quarterback trying to prove himself. An organization is more prone than ever to move on instead of giving a player extra years to grow.
The time is now. We have seen the good Kenny Pickett before. The quicker he returns, the better. There’s precious little time to waste. There is nowhere else to hide now.
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