Over the last two weeks against the likes of the Cleveland Browns and the Las Vegas Raiders, the Kenny Pickett to George Pickens connection for the Pittsburgh Steelers has produced some pretty impressive results as Pickens has seized upon the No. 1 WR role for the Steelers with Diontae Johnson on Injured Reserve.
In the last two games, Pickett has targeted Pickens 16 times, generating eight receptions for 202 yards and one touchdown. Those are pretty impressive numbers overall for an offense that seems vertically challenged in the passing game.
Former NFL running back turned NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew is expecting more from the combination. In fact, ahead of the Week Four matchup on the road against the Houston Texans, Jones-Drew made a bold prediction for NFL.com, stating that Pickett and Pickens are going to combine for 200 yards through the air and two touchdowns.
“We’ve only seen glimpses of the Steelers’ deep passing attack so far this season. Sunday against the Texans, offensive coordinator Matt Canada unleashes the offense, as Kenny Pickett and George Pickens connect for 200 yards and two touchdowns,” Jones-Drew writes for NFL.com regarding his bold prediction featuring Pickett and Pickens.
Well then.
After Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager stated Friday morning that he believes Pickett is going to have a career day against the Texans, throwing for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns, Jones-Drew doubled down and believes that Pickett and Pickens will have a career day in what is shaping up to be quite the combination through the air.
It will be a tall task against the Texans. Though Houston allows opposing quarterbacks to complete more than 70% of their passes through three games, the Texans are rather stingy through the air. According to ESPN defensive stats for the 2023 season, Houston has allowed just 670 total passing yards, good for 223.3 per game. That’s 18th-best in football, even better than the Steelers’ pass defense.
Additionally, the Texans have not allowed a single 100-yard receiver all season long. Against the Baltimore Ravens in Week One, rookie Zay Flowers led the Ravens with nine catches for 78 yards. In Week Two against the Indianapolis Colts, the Texans saw veteran Michael Pittman Jr. lead the Colts with eight receptions for 56 yards. Then, last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, tight end Evan Engram led the Jaguars with 67 yards receiving on seven catches.
Through the first three games, too, the Texans have allowed just two passing touchdowns.
That makes Jones-Drew’s prediction of 200 yards and two touchdowns from Pickett to Pickens quite bold.
What makes it even bolder is the fact that Pickens never even had a 200-yard receiving game in college, getting as high as 175 yards against Baylor as a freshman. In the NFL, Pickens’ single-game high is the 127 yards he put up in Week Two against the Browns, in large part thanks to the 71-yard touchdown he had from Pickett.
Pickett didn’t even record multiple passing touchdowns in a game in his NFL career until last week. It was difficult enough getting to two in a game. Three is a major stretch.
It’s hard to fathom the combination of Pickett and Pickens putting up the type of numbers that Jones-Drew predicted, but were the duo to even crack 100 yards and a touchdown, that should help the Steelers pick up a third straight win. It’ll be a tough test. Let’s see if the young quarterback-receiver combination can answer the bell.
