On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers turned to their rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett. The offense immediately looked better under the first rounder as opposed to Mitch Trubisky, despite the three unfortunate interceptions. One of those was a Hail Mary, and the receivers on the other two could have likely made a better effort on the ball. Still, the offense's outlook looked better in the second half.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Nonetheless, Pickett seems likely to start under center in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills, despite head coach Mike Tomlin's refusal to name a starter after Sunday's loss. From the moment he came in, it was clear that Pickett had command of the offense. In the first three and a half games, it seemed Trubisky was hesitant at times in that aspect.
According to Josh Rowntree of 93.7 The Fan, Steelers starting right guard, James Daniels discussed Pickett's freedom on Sunday when he took over:
"He [Pickett] does have the ability to change anything, and if he doesn't like a play call, he can change it," Daniels said via Rowntree's tweet. "He can do what he wants."
Now, if you remember, nearly two weeks ago, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted out that Trubisky didn't have the freedom to audible in offensive coordinator, Matt Canada's offense. That was coming from Trubisky himself, too. That was a shocking tidbit, particularly considering the fact that the quarterback is a six-year veteran in the NFL.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
The fact that a rookie, who had never seen the field in an NFL regular season game, was able to come in and have that freedom right away, makes Trubisky's future with the team look quite bleak. Tomlin will hold his weekly press conference on Tuesday ahead of the Week 5 matchup, and he may officially name the starter then.
At this point, it's hard to see the team going back to Trubisky. On the day, Pickett went 10/13 for 120 yards, in addition to two rushing touchdowns. The offense looked better than it has all season, most specifically rookie wideout, George Pickens who had his best career game with over 100 receiving yards. Tight end, Pat Freiermuth was another beneficiary, as he finished off with a career-high 85 yards on seven catches.
Multiple players felt Pickett's confidence and command of the offense when coming into the game. It's just what Tomlin was looking for after halftime: a spark. That's just what Pickett provided, and we'll see if he can carry that into Week 5, assuming he starts. Diontae Johnson pointed out that the rookie quarterback gained respect from the moment he stepped into the huddle in the third quarter. At this point, it would be a disservice to everyone involved if Tomlin opts to start Trubisky over Pickett.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin works to get the offense ready to take on the New York Jets in Pittsburgh, PA. | Credit: Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers
What do you think about this? Were you impressed with Pickett's confidence and command of the offense once he came in? What were your overall thoughts on his performance? Who will/should start in Week 5? Share your opinions and thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on all of our social media sites, yinz!
#SteelerNation
MORE STEELERS NEWS
Steelers 1st-Year Quarterback Kenny Pickett Demonstrates Eloquence and An Edge In Professional Debut
