While there have been many reports that Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett has looked good so far this offseason, sometimes the best way to know if that is true is to ask the defense he is going up against. Safety Damontae Kazee talked to reporters today and gushed about how Pickett looks this year, his ability in taking care of the ball, and his development from last offseason.
“He’s been doing great, great,” Kazee said in his media session which was posted to Steelers.com. “It’s hard. From last year to this year, seeing the whole transition and him moving me off the line back there at free safety. I see a big difference this year from him. He is just taking over. Kenny gonna be Kenny now.”
One aspect of a quarterback’s game that is vital is the mental side. Pickett needs to know where defenders are and to read coverage well. As the game slows down for him in Year Two he will get even better at that, and towards the end of last year he showed improvement. Down the 2022 stretch, Pickett threw five of his seven touchdowns and only tossed one of his nine interceptions.
Those numbers obviously need to improve, but with Pickett continuing to grow on the mental side they will. Kazee saying that Pickett is moving him off his line is huge as it means he is going through his progressions and outsmarting defenses.
One part of the game that Pickett struggled last year was turnovers as he threw nine interceptions. Some of those picks were bad luck, but others were poor reads. The key to success this year for the Steelers is not turning the football over. The team has a great defense that can shut teams down, so the offense needs to take care of the ball. Pittsburgh’s 7-2 end to the season coincided with Pickett’s ball-security improvement.
Pickett can improve a lot this year, and so far in training camp he is looking good. However, we should temper expectations a little. Pads haven’t been added yet, and Pickett cannot be touched as the quarterback. We will likely get a more realistic view of how much Pickett has improved Aug. 11, when the Steelers take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But for now, hearing Kazee sing Pickett’s praises sure is nice.
