Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett has received a fair amount of criticism following Pittsburgh’s 30-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday.
And rightfully so. Pickett looked like a shell of his former self, nothing like the player who got everyone excited during the preseason. He looked scattershot in the pocket, missing open receivers on easy throws while pressing too hard at times to make a play. His struggles resulted in two interceptions that ended potential scoring drives for Pittsburgh to cut into San Francisco’s lead.
Pickett was critical of his performance this past weekend, saying that the mistakes by him as well as the rest of the offense can’t linger as Pittsburgh tries to get back on track in a hurry. WR Calvin Austin III was asked about Pickett’s performance Wednesday in the locker room by the media and why he believes Pickett will be able to bounce back strong after a bad first game.
“Just his preparation and how he comes to work each day, Austin said told reporters via video from Steelers.com. “His mindset and how he’s built. I mean, he’s a guy that got to be here because he worked hard and everything. So, you got a guy like that the only thing they’re gonna do is work harder and we are right behind him. We’re with him and we know that wasn’t anything. We know he’s going to be right back.”
Head coach Mike Tomlin also recently went to bat for his quarterback, stating in a press conference yesterday that he is confident that Pickett will be just fine given how dedicated he is to the game and his craft, calling it “football justice.”
Pickett looked bad on Sunday, there’s no denying that. However, after a poor performance, you can either wallow in it, or do something about it and put forth the time and effort to improve to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. That’s the type of person Pickett is. He was chosen by his teammates to be the team’s lone offensive captain, speaking to the leadership he has displayed since taking the field last season and throughout the offseason and training camp, becoming a more vocal leader on the team.
Austin has praised Pickett’s work ethic in the past as well, stating that he holds all the guys, including himself, to a high standard. Pickett fell short of the standard on Sunday, but now he can show that he can bounce back from adversity rather than letting it ruin his confidence. That’s where most young quarterbacks fail in the league as their confidence will get shaken and they never can recover. Pickett got kicked in the teeth, as Mike Tomlin would put it. Now it’s time for him to show what he’s made of as he and the Steelers look to rebound and get back on the right track as they pursue a playoff berth.
