Steelers' Kenny Pickett Draws Interesting Comparison To One Of The Most Clutch Players In The NBA

The Pittsburgh Steelers could have their next franchise quarterback if Kenny Pickett figures out how to play a full 60 minutes of football. He already has seven fourth quarter game-winning drives in his young career with just 20 total starts. The most recent came on Thursday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans. He led a methodical 11-play, 92-yard drive and found Diontae Johnson in the end zone to cap it off. It's almost as if a switch is flipped once the final 15-minute quarter begins. Pickett is in rarefied air when it comes to the last 15 minutes of ball games since the beginning of 2022.

Doug Whaley, a former Steelers executive and general manager for the Buffalo Bills, spoke on the WPXI postgame show after the team's big Week 9 win over the Titans. He was analyzing the big third-down conversion late in the game when Pickett found Johnson down the sideline for a big gain. Pickett has a clutch gene, much like Milwaukee Bucks superstar, Damian Lillard, according to Whaley.

"That throw shows why you got to believe in this guy and why he has ice running through his veins. Dame Time, Kenny Pickett Time."

Lillard is known for late-game heroics and the waning moments of close basketball games that he is a part of has been called "Dame Time" for several years now. Pickett is earning that reputation for himself on the NFL side of things. The quarterback threw for well under 200 yards and was 19 of 30 on his passes, but he showed up when it mattered most.

Steelers fans might not appreciate the current approach as it often goes down to the final drive and/or minutes, but he has the toughest part of professional football figured out. He knows how to lead his team down the field in crucial situations. Similar to how Lillard always wants the ball in his hands when games are going to come down to the final shots.

Whaley broke down the biggest drive of the game and was very impressed with how Pickett handled himself down the stretch. He showed up for his teammates when they needed him to.

"Kenny did miss some throws, but again, when it comes down to it, he gritted it out and drove those Steelers down when it counted most. We know how hard it is in those situations to control your emotions and your adrenaline. In this case, that adrenaline deadened the pain and made him focus even more and that's one of the reasons I think they got it into end zone and secured that victory; because of that mental toughness and intestinal fortitude."

The former NFL executive also said that, despite struggles early on in games, he is proving why he belongs in the city of Pittsburgh and that he is starting to earn a reputation for himself.

"He is showing why he is beloved in Pittsburgh. He gritted it out. That's what Pittsburgh people do. When things are down, when you're not feeling your best, you step up instead of going home crying."

While Steelers fans would appreciate an easy and boring win, it's hard to complain about the slow starts when your quarterback is proving to be one of the most clutch signal-callers in all of the NFL. He is still growing, but the fourth quarter magic is something that can't be taught. He has the gene to play well down the stretch, and when he figures out how to put a full 60 minutes together, he could be a top 10 quarterback in the league.

Steelers Sitting Pretty Heading Into Week 10

Pittsburgh may be winning ugly, but a record of 5-3, including four wins in conference play, is nothing to scoff at. The Steelers will take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 10 prior to a crucial two-game stretch against the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. We'll have to wait and see if the struggling starts continue and if Pickett can continue to perform in the fourth quarter. Kenny Pickett Time.

Do you think that Pickett is developing into one of the best fourth quarter signal-callers in the NFL? Let us know in the comments below!

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