Coming out of a rather disappointing, frustrating Week One loss against the San Francisco 49ers at Acrisure Stadium, second-year Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is focused on turning the page.
In the hours after the loss, Pickett was rather peeved about his performance against the 49ers, criticizing his lack of execution and inability to make plays in the passing game. He dwelled on it a bit, hit the film room to figure out why he struggled, and then, just like that, flushed the poor performance.
The 24-hour rule was in effect for Pickett. Speaking with reporters Wednesday inside the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Pickett is determined to not let his frustrations with his play take away from his preparation for the Cleveland Browns in Week Two.
“We didn’t play nearly as well as we’ve been playing or how know we can play. So it is what it is,” Pickett said regarding the offensive issues, according to video via Steelers.com. “It’s 24-hour rule. Same as if you win. You can’t celebrate too long. You can’t dwell on the loss too long and let it beat you twice. So that’s the main takeaway.”
Immediately following the loss, frustration with not only the offensive performance, but Pickett’s overall play was rather high. That feeling has dissipated in recent days as attention has switched from the 49ers loss to the Cleveland Browns matchup on Monday Night Football in the AFC North opener for the Black and Gold.
When a performance is as bad as the one the Steelers put together last Sunday, you have to flush that performance rather quickly. You can’t dwell on it too much. You watch the film, assess what went right and what went wrong, and move on. As Pickett said, you can’t let the poor performance eat at you, affect your preparation for the next game and lead to another loss. That’s what he means by “beat you twice.”
Pickett has no problem moving on and not riding the emotional rollercoaster, according to personal QB coach Tony Racioppi.
Racioppi appeared on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show Thursday to give his thoughts on Pickett’s performance. He didn’t quite have an answer for the poor performance, but he has no doubt Pickett will rebound from the showing.
“I think he’s fantastic at it. It [24-hour rule] is not some quote or slogan he just says. He truly believes in that. It would be the same thing if he threw for 350 yards and four touchdowns and won the game,” Racioppi said to co-hosts Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “…When you don’t play well, it’s a tough loss, game one, you’re upset, you’re pissed, and then you move on.
“…He has moved on. He’s ready to roll.”
While Pickett was really poor on Sunday, there is very little doubt that the second-year quarterback is going to bounce back, shake off the bad performance and return to the level of play he showed as a rookie — and then some. The promise entering Year Two was there for a reason. He didn’t forget how to play quarterback, didn’t lose his accuracy entirely, and his confidence doesn’t appear to be shaken based on media sessions in recent days.
He knows he played poorly, and he’s champing at the bit to get back on the field and get after it again.
