For the Pittsburgh Steelers, last week was an emotional roller coaster. In a morbid, coincidental chain of events, the week that was to be dedicated to Franco Harris and the Immaculate Reception was exactly that, but with a bit more of a somber tone than originally planned.
After Harris’ unexpected death on Wednesday, the Steelers had to quickly get their emotions in check in preparation for the incoming Las Vegas Raiders. If we fast forward to the night of Christmas Eve, we saw Kenny Pickett grow in front of our eyes to the tune of a 10-play, 76-yard scoring drive to put the game on ice and secure the 13-10 victory. But as the schedule turns to Week 17, this week poses a redemption opportunity for Pickett as the team faces off against the Baltimore Ravens in another critical divisional showdown.
Steelers' Kenny Pickett (#8) rolls out of the pocket against the Las Vegas Raiders in Pittsburgh, PA. | Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Pittsburgh Steelers
Kenny Pickett Talks To Media After Steelers’ Practice On Wednesday
In a game that was played in historically-low temperatures and wind, neither offense was doing much with the ball. However, this didn’t seem to phase Pickett. Pickett tallied 244 yards through the air on 26 completions. Although he threw an interception, which was his first since October 30th, the rookie kept his composure when it mattered most and made veteran plays in the two-minute drill. He talked about how the younger members of the team stepped up in crunch time in the bitter cold.
“It was a big moment and you saw a lot of guys stand up. After that two-minute drill, we had Connor (Heyward) ice the game on that jet sweep, so that’s another young guy stepping up in a big moment and closing it out. So, I think that’s where the positive in the growth of going down there and finishing the game, where earlier in the season, the Miami (Dolphins) game didn’t go that way. But I think we all use that experience to help us out here at the end,” Pickett explained.
“It’s a step in the right direction, but I’m not going to over do it, or you know, we did what we were supposed to do, we got there and won the game. In that situation it’s a huge positive for us, but now we have to turn the page and get ready for this week.”
Steelers' Kenny Pickett (#8) gets hit by the Baltimore Ravens' Roquan Smith (#18) in Pittsburgh, PA. | Photo Credit: Fred Vuich/Associated Press
Back in Week 14 when the Ravens came into town, Pickett was knocked out of the game in the first quarter after getting hit by Roquan Smith. The defense would be run over by the Ravens’ rushing attack and the Steelers would ultimately lose the game with a score of 16-14. For Pickett, this week is a “part deaux” of sorts, as he turns his focus from three weeks ago in beating the Ravens’ blitz schemes to finishing drives with touchdowns, not field goals.
“Consistency in finishing drives has to be the focus,” he explained. “We have to finish in the red zone and be better there. That’s just what we’ve been preaching pretty much the back half of the season. It’s an emphasis where we have to be a lot better there.”
Ironically enough, that focus is one that has been at the forefront since the calendar turned to December. Looking at the season as a whole, the offense has scored a touchdown just over 53 percent of the time, which is right in the middle of the pack relative to the rest of the league. However, in their last three games, they’ve scored touchdowns on 75 percent of red zone possessions. That number is higher than the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers for reference. It seems as though their only blemish was in their last contest against Baltimore.
In their last matchup, the Steelers saw three of their five red zone trips end without points. A pair of those were ugly-looking interceptions by Mitch Trubisky and the other was a missed Chris Boswell field goal. Although those looked like and should have been scoring drives, the Steelers found themselves in the majority of offenses in the red zone against the Ravens' defense. So far this season, the Ravens have only allowed touchdowns on 48 percent of red zone plays to opposing offenses, which is fourth-best in the league. However, there is a wrinkle to that number.
When playing on the road, the Ravens stand up big in the red zone by only allowing a 45.16 scoring percentage, which is second-best in the entire NFL. That is exactly what Trubisky and the Steelers saw on December 11th. But when playing at home, that number jumps to 52.63 percent, which is ranked 12th in the league. For Pickett to want to focus on the offense’s red zone efficiency heading into this week, it could be a favorable matchup in that regard. It appears as though the rookie is on to something in his film studies so far this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) celebrates beside teammates after scoring a touchdown in the red zone against the New York Jets during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (Photo Credit: AP Photo/Don Wright)
Even though there is a wrinkle in the Ravens' defense at home in the red zone, Pickett has seen his fair amount of struggles inside the 20-yard line. So far this season, Pickett is 19 for 42 in pass completions, which leads to a 45.2 completion percentage. In addition, he's gotten sacked five times, but the majority of those came early on in the season. Although those numbers are a bit pessimistic, Pickett has found ways to get the ball in the endzone. He's thrown for four touchdowns, ran for three and only has a single interception, which he alluded to earlier in Miami.
For Pickett, the numbers and measurables are trending in the right direction. We’ve been talking about the numbers since the bye week in November, but sitting at the cusp of playoff relevance, let’s look at how they’re sitting currently. Not to mention, if you take out the games against the Ravens and the Carolina Panthers, Pickett has seen action in five games, which is right around what he saw in the first half of the season.
In the last five games he’s played, Pickett has a 62.5 completion percentage and has thrown for 1,079 yards. That is an average of over 215 passing yards per game. If we throw in his three touchdowns and a single interception, that comes to a quarterback rating (QBR) of 84.4.
While those numbers don’t jump off the page as being in the ‘top-tier’ conversation, we’ve been able to see Pickett grow astronomically as the season has progressed. And for that, there is a lot to look forward to in the new year.
How do you think Pickett did last week? What are you watching for in practice this week? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
