By Joshua Stewart
Twitter: @JoshStewart47
After securing a surprising win over former NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson, Kenny Pickett has finally started to show that he could be the guy that Pittsburgh thought he could be.
It is fair to say that Kenny Pickett hasn’t yet become the hometown quarterback Pittsburgh had hoped he would be. Out of all the quarterbacks who played in more than 10 games last season, Pickett ranked 24th for passing yards. Only 29 quarterbacks played more than 10 games.
Pittsburgh missed the play-offs last year after having an equal win rate with the Miami Dolphins but losing on their head-to-head record, and not being able to improve on their nine wins from the previous year, the time seems ripe for Pickett to kick on and secure a return to the playoffs, somewhere Pittsburgh considers to be their rightful place. The rookie tag had come off, he has a year’s experience of the league, and his main receiver has been with him his entire career.
So when the season started and the San Francisco 49ers steamrolled them 30-7, it was obvious that improvements were still needed. 232 passing yards was a good start for Pickett, but two interceptions to only one touchdown told the more important story.
Tight wins against the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns followed but the Steelers defence, led by the formidable and seemingly unstoppable T.J Watt can lay claim to having a big hand in those wins.
The Houston Texans highlighted just what was missing from Pickett’s game as he could only manage 114 passing yards and one interception against them. His opposing quarterback, rookie C.J Stroud, managed over 300 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
With that stark reminder of what Pickett didn’t do, many expected that the Marlon Humphrey-led Baltimore Ravens would just pile on to a disheartened Pickett as a defence that had just held the Cleveland Browns to only three points the previous week lined up against the misfiring Pittsburgh native.
The Steelers’ defence helped keep the Ravens in touch and in the fourth quarter, it was set up for Pickett to show that he could be the one to lead his team down the field and win the game. A 41-yard touchdown to George Pickens saw them take the lead and the win. It meant Pittsburgh went onto three wins for the season and Pickett threw for 224 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
By no means was it a performance that filled the stands with confidence that they now finally had the guy who could win them games consistently or even a guy who could get them to move on from Ben Roethlisberger who delivered them two Super Bowl triumphs.
It will take similar performances week after week before his slow start will be forgotten, but the Pickett doubters have had their fire dampened a bit. They saw a player who stood up in the face of the pressure and got the job done and most importantly showed a streak of steel in his resolve. At the end of day, that’s what you need.
Up next are the Los Angeles Rams who come with a losing record. A side that has failed to keep every team they have faced under 10 points, Pickett is given a great opportunity to prove he is the man for the job.
He just needs to build on a solid game with a few great ones.
