You know the regular season is just around the corner when the effusive praise of opposing players begins trickling out. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is particularly successful in making every team they face sound like the inevitable Super Bowl champion, with a roster riddled with All-Pros in waiting.
Of course, sometimes the praise is justified. Will that prove to be the case for second-year Steelers QB Kenny Pickett? He has the attention of the San Franciso 49ers’ starting safety tandem, Tashaun Gipson and Talanoa Hufanga, both of whom spoke highly of the young, budding star.
“The leap that he’s making is impressive. He’s a little more comfortable back there. You even see stuff online about the step he’s making and the growth you’d want in a second-year player”, Hufanga said, via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“He’s throwing the ball with confidence and it’s showing on film”, Gipson added, reiterating his comment about Pickett’s confidence multiple times. “That offense is clicking. They look pretty good in the preseason, so we’re going to have our work cut out for us”.
The Steelers ran Pickett out for five possessions during their three-game preseason schedule. Each of them ended in touchdowns, including three very long drives. Two came on short fields, but they executed smoothly and overcame mild adversity when necessary, facing only a few third-and-longs.
Hufanga also mentioned the preseason as clear evidence of the jump Pickett has taken this offseason in comparison to his rookie year, as did Gipson. “You go back to his film last year, compared to this year, and he looks like a quarterback who’s confident in making every throw”, the latter said.
Gipson is entering his 12th NFL season. A high-level nomad who is on his fifth team, his second season in San Francisco, he nevertheless has a long and productive resume, including a Pro Bowl. He has 32 career interceptions, among the game’s active leaders, including five in 2022.
Hufanga is entering just his third season but really ascended to the national stage last year, earning first-team All-Pro honors. He recorded four interceptions with nine passes defensed and two forced fumbles. Additionally, his 97 tackles with five tackles for loss and two sacks speak to the completeness of his game.
The pairing will be a challenge for Pickett as his first test out of the gate in his second season. The 49ers tied the Steelers as a defense in interceptions [20, best in the NFL] a year ago while allowing the fifth-fewest touchdowns. While they did allow yardage, that’s partly a byproduct of holding so many significant leads. They had the second-ranked run defense, so teams had to try to throw.
The Steelers can give their young quarterback a significant leg up if they can manage to get off on the right foot on the ground between Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. They ran well in the second half of last season, but they need to be even better than where they left off to succeed in this new year.
