In just a few hours, the Pittsburgh Steelers will kick off their 2023 season with a home matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. While it’s a matchup between two teams with really talented defenses, NFL Media analyst Kurt Warner thinks that second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett is going to come alive and throw four touchdown passes against the 49ers.
“I need everyone to get on the hype train, Kenny Pickett hype train. Here’s the thing. He’s playing against the San Francisco 49ers, vaunted defense, Nick Bosa back today,” Warner said on NFL Gameday Morning on NFL Network. “Kenny Pickett did not account for one touchdown pass in any game that he played last year. The most touchdowns he accounted for was two, and he ran for two in one game. So I’m gonna say that Kenny Pickett today against that San Francisco defense will throw for four touchdown passes.”
If Pickett throws for four touchdowns, the Steelers’ odds of winning shoot way up. Most predictions have the game being a low-scoring affair, and when you look at San Francisco’s defense and Pittsburgh’s defense that makes sense.
The 49ers will trot out EDGE Nick Bosa, LB Fred Warner, DL Arik Armstead and S Talanoa Hufanga, among others. The Steelers boast EDGE T.J. Watt, DL Cameron Heyward, S Minkah Fitzpatrick and CB Patrick Peterson. That’s a lot of stars on the defensive side of the ball, and with two second-year quarterbacks, there isn’t much expectation it’ll be a high-scoring affair.
But Warner seems to think otherwise, and four touchdown passes out of Pickett would go a long way toward putting him on the right path for a second-year leap. Such a performance against one of the best defenses in the NFL would likely give Pickett a whole lot of confidence heading into the rest of the season, and it would become a lot easier to buy into the idea of the Steelers offense truly breaking out this season.
There are certainly weapons in place for Pickett to have a big game, with WRs Diontae Johnson and George Pickens eager to prove they’ll be better than they were last season and TE Pat Freiermuth looking to build off a strong first two years and earn a new contract this offseason. The offensive line is improved from last season too, and Pickett himself should be better. Four touchdowns are a lot though, especially against the 49ers’ defense. But it sure would be pretty sweet if Warner’s prediction came to be reality.
