Like most players, QB Kenny Pickett used the bye week not to worry about an opponent or what anyone around the league was doing. His focus was on himself and how he can get better, translating to better play on Sundays. Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Pickett said he worked closely with QBs Coach Mike Sullivan to clean up his game.
“Definitely found things with Coach Sully, things that I wanna improve on,” he said via Steelers.com. “Just mastering the offense as a whole, using the entire offense. Ways for us to get down the field more and be more explosive, which I can definitely help with.”
While some may be quick to judge and conclude Pickett’s game, whether he is or isn’t the franchise guy, he’s still played just five NFL games and has four starts. He’s only played three games start to finish, seeing only halves of action against the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Still, the overall production has been poor. Pickett’s thrown just two touchdowns to eight interceptions while Pittsburgh’s offense is averaging just 8.7 points per game in the contests Pickett has seen start to finish. The Steelers’ offense has been totally lackluster and despite trying, unable to push the ball down the field.
The QB coach/QB relationship is one of the most important in sports. Sullivan is an experienced, disciplined coach who has worked with the likes of Eli Manning in the past. Sullivan is a very ground-up type of coach, focusing on fundamentals of technique while teaching his “family of coverages” and how to read things pre-snap.
Overall, Pickett has seen the field relatively well, though some of the post-snap pictures and need to play outside of structure are areas where he can get better. Despite the bye, the Steelers practiced until last Wednesday before getting Thursday, Friday, and the weekend off. Meaning Pickett and the rest of the team was highly engaged despite not having an opponent.
“It was definitely a productive off-week,” Pickett said.
But the proof is in the pudding. Pittsburgh’s offense must improve. That mission begins Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The Steelers look to be in better position to win, benefitting from the bye while the Saints are playing on a short week with defensive injuries.
