Another Pittsburgh Steelers preseason game, another impressive showing from rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett. The young quarterback acquitted himself extremely well yet again in a 16-15 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
USA Today
The Steelers got off to a slow start in this one, with the offense producing very little. The offensive line looked sloppy and the offense as a whole, led by Mitch Trubisky, had accounted for just 53 total yards. Pickett came in halfway through the second quarter. His first drive could have been productive if not for a holding penalty from James Daniels that negated a 19-yard first down strike to Chase Claypool on 3rd and 8.
The Steelers and Pickett got the ball back with :58 seconds left to go in the first half down 6-0. Pickett went right to work. He drove down the field with ease, showing great pocket presence and decision making. Pickett hooked up with top pass catching options, Diontae Johnson and Pat Freiermuth for three first downs, and capped it off with a would be touchdown to Johnson, that was nullified by offsetting penalties. Pickett would not let penalties get the best of him a second time. The next play, he hit Benny Snell Jr. for 6. This would be all for Pickett.
Pickett touched on his performance after the game, specifically about his two-minute drill, he had this to say:
"Coach does a great job of putting us in those situations. I'm really glad I have that experience in practice against our defense. I think it really helped and it showed out there, getting a live rep at it in a game. We had a touchdown that [was] called back. No one batted an eye, we just got it the next play. Definitely happy with the execution there.""You always have to want the ball in your hands. I think the gamer in me comes out in those moments, I like having the ball in my hand. I think we have great players around me, so you're definitely in a good position on this team in those kind of moments."
Pickett definitely backs that up. He led the two-minute drive to perfection, and had the team in the lead going into halftime. The rest of the game was a hard fought battle that was decided by a go ahead touchdown from Mason Rudolph to Tyler Snead. The team held on as the Jaguars missed the game winning 57-yard field goal with time winding down.
JaguarsWire.com
Has Steelers QB Kenny Pickett Done Enough?
With two preseason games now in the rear view, it is tough to say that Pickett hasn't at least fought his way into some form of starter consideration. The coaching staff wanted to see him in more "Varsity" action, as head coach Mike Tomlin would refer to it as, and he delivered.
Pickett through two games is now 19/22 for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns. He went 6/7 for 76 yards and a TD this game. His incompletion came on a spiked ball. He has now ran the two-minute drill twice to perfection as well as displaying effective awareness, mobility, and accuracy. He has yet to really flash his deep ball, but has shown his ability to run an offense and get the ball in the hands of his play-makers.
I believe that Pickett has done enough to gain confidence and help his position, but the job at this moment still likely belongs to Trubisky. Trubisky played well against Jacksonville, and was not helped by his offensive line. Coach Tomlin touched on that after the game:
"I thought Mitch played well. I thought he created and extended some things when there wasn't much there. But, we got to do a better job of protecting him and having some semblance of a run game if you want a fair evaluation. And I'm just being bluntly honest."
So it sounds like Trubisky is still very much in the driver seat, but Tomlin also had praise for Pickett. When asked about Pickett's effectiveness in the two-minute drive specifically, Tomlin had this to say:
"You know, it's probably who he is. I know he did it next door. He probably did it in high school. He probably did it in little league. Some things people are born with."
Tomlin is basically saying Pickett is probably the man. That speaks volumes about what Tomlin sees in his young quarterback. It would certainly seem that he is pleased with what he saw out of Pickett in his first varsity action, and that Pickett may have at least firmly planted himself in the number two spot for now. Rudolph sealed the game for the Steelers, and may have helped raise or at least hold onto his potential trade value. Trubisky and Pickett seem to be the ones gunning for the job, and will have one last opportunity to showcase themselves next week in the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions at Acrisure Stadium.
Tomlin's full post game presser can be seen here.
Pickett's full post game interview can be seen here.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Has Pickett earned the QB1 job? Does he need to show more? Let us know in the comments below!
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