The Pittsburgh Steelers have played nine games during the 2022 NFL season. They are currently 3-6 but are an impressive 3-1 when the team scores 20 points. The defense recently got T.J. Watt back and they are getting healthier for the second half of the season, so the 20-point threshold for the offense will be an important multiplier for the final eight weeks of the season.
The progression of Kenny Pickett’s proficiency in running the offense is also a key ingredient of the potential success or failure of the Steelers down the stretch. Ramon Foster expressed his thoughts on the rookie signal caller on his daily podcast The Ramon Foster Show.
Photo Credit: DK Pittsburgh Sports YouTube Channel
“Anywhere, I have that question, is Kenny Pickett the guy,” Foster began. “What guy are we looking for? Every franchise is looking for the guy, I’ll say this and maybe this is just me being a cocky Pittsburgher, I don’t think Pittsburgh is a city that chases the guy year in, year out. They are more strategic than most when it comes to that position. Think about it, Kordell (Stewart) was a guy for a little while. We’ve had Ben for the last 20 years, but as far as going to get the guy, Pittsburgh is a little smarter.”
During the Super Bowl Era, they have had two Hall of Fame quarterbacks including Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger. The history between the two Hall of Famers was a patient approach that infuriated the fan base, but still produced division titles and playoff wins in spite of the quarterback instead of because of the position. The modern NFL doesn’t lend itself to that approach, but Pittsburgh is methodical and that hasn’t changed.
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“Kenny is very capable,” Foster continued. “I think Kenny’s in a position to do everything a modern quarterback is doing. As far as being able to run the ball, being able to spin the ball. His completion percentage is almost 67 percent. That’s is pretty good, whether it be dinking and dunking. His biggest issue is interceptions, okay he’s cleaning that up and we saw growth the last game chucking the ball away.”
The former Steelers offensive lineman played his entire career with Roethlisberger under center and played in the Super Bowl loss to the Green Bay Packers. He has seen a franchise quarterback up close and pointed out that a team is more than just the quarterback.
“Quarterbacks that win Super Bowls,” Foster said. “They are paired with a head coach that supports them, they have an offensive coordinator that’s paired with them. I don’t know if we are there for Kenny’s skill set, maybe removing a guy simplifies this a little bit for a young rookie.”
Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / Pittsburgh Steelers (Twitter JSKO_Photo)
Matt Canada’s offense and Pickett are probably not a long-term match and Foster is wise to point out that if the Steelers believe in the rookie, they should make him as comfortable as possible. Finding a coordinator that tailors the offense to his quarterback, rather than his quarterback to the offense is a better long-term plan. Canada has not proven that he can do that consistently, but he has an eight-game audition to prove he understands the former Pitt Panther and what he can and cannot do at the NFL level.
“I have heard more in the last 48 hours than I had all season long as it relates to Kenny,” Dejan Kovacevic, Foster’s cohost concluded. “Now all of a sudden, the expectation is he’s the guy who I can envision winning a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh. Everyone just wanted him to start a month and a half ago. Now we want him to be Joe Montana.”
Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / Steeler Nation (Twitter JSKO_Photo)
Pickett has been on a wild roller coaster ride so far in his professional career. Fans and the national media were clamoring for him to start the season as the Pittsburgh signal caller. After nearly leading them back to beat the New York Jets, his long slow road to a yellow jacket was a foregone conclusion. After dropping multiple games and turning the ball over at an alarming rate, part of the fan base was using the dreaded b-word. He righted the ship at least for one week and is now back on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
The presentism of NFL fan bases can be dizzying and for some nauseating.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Are you content with living in the moment when Pickett plays well or are you firmly committed to defining his career from snap to snap? Comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
