The Pittsburgh Steelers tapped Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft to ultimately be the man in Pittsburgh to replace Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers did not intend for Pickett to take the field in the middle of the fourth game of the season. It seems his shortcomings have been magnified on a bad offense that does not play to his strengths.
Photo Credit: Steelers.com / Kenny Pickett Postgame Press conference
“You know when you are going 14 to 16 plays,” Pickett started in his post-game press conference. “Something’s gonna happen sooner or later. It’s a dual edged sword, it’s good to stay on the field and chew some clock but we have got to finish with points. If we are not getting any points, then it’s really not doing us any good.”
Roethlisberger has been very supportive of his replacement publicly and has expressed that he has texted Pickett often and tried to mentor him from afar. During Monday’s Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, the veteran shared some advice for the rookie signal caller about his post-game comments.
“I heard Kenny say during his press conference today,” Roethlisberger started. “That when you have that many plays at some point you got to expect something bad to happen. I don’t know that you need to expect something bad, be confident. You’re able to drive the ball down the field, now it’s just a matter of what we are doing in the end zone.”
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 15: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates the game-winning touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Heinz Field on January 15, 2011, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo Credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Roethlisberger was exceptional during his career in the red zone. Even last season when much of the buzz around the NFL was that he was washed up, Roethlisberger threw 17 touchdowns to zero interceptions in his final season. His point to Pickett is clear that retaining his confidence in the red zone is the key to the next step in his journey toward being a franchise quarterback.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) drops back for a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 30, 2022, in Philadelphia, PA. | Photo Credit: Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
The future Hall of Fame quarterback also had some veiled advice about the Steelers' playcalling. The route trees may call for short outs that give his receivers virtually no chance to run after the catch, but Pickett should potentially look to the decoy routes and just start going deeper down the field.
“You’ve got nothing to lose,” Roethlisberger continued. “I’m throwing the ball deep on first, second and third down. I’m letting it go. It doesn’t have to be a 7-step drop, you can catch it and throw a ball 10-12 yards down the field. I know Chris Hoke and Coach Cowher say run it, run it. I get it, but now you got to start doing something different.”
Matt Canada at this point is not going to be replaced by Mike Tomlin and it is going to stunt the growth of Pickett during this season. The Indianapolis Colts fired their offensive coordinator on Tuesday and sadly that offense is better than the Steelers. Roethlisberger who earned the moniker “Backyard Ben” for sometimes drawing plays in the dirt on the field is encouraging Pickett to be confident and trust his eyes on the field.
Pickett is a rookie and asking him to ignore coaching in favor of what he sees could be a long-term nightmare. However, the offense he is currently stuck in is why he loses confidence on long drives. The Steelers are one trick play away from 3rd and 18 and the longer they are on the field calling plays from Canada it can seem inevitable. Tomlin continues to allow the rookie to twist in the wind and the only person on the Steelers who can save him at this point is Pickett, himself.
Pickett was billed as the most NFL-ready quarterback in the draft, and at 24 years old, he is older than some current multi-year starters in the league. It is risky but at this point what does he have to lose? The Steelers coaching staff is languishing in mediocrity secure in the knowledge their jobs are safe for now. The coaching staff has proven to be gutless and can’t bench Pickett without major backlash. He should take advantage of the opportunity to call what he is comfortable with, at 2-6 it really cannot get any worse.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Should Pickett be confident in his ability and let it fly? Comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
