One matter that has recently become an excessive topic of conversation surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers has been the role of the quarterback position in the pre-snap determination of plays. Specifically, up for debate is how much freedom and authority second-year QB Kenny Pickett has to audible.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Raay Fittipaldo doesn’t seem to think it’s very much, and perhaps rather than expanding, if anything, it may be shrinking. “They’re trying to take things off KP’s plate, not put more on it”, he said in a chat session yesterday. “[Quarterbacks coach] Mike Sullivan said during the bye week he wants KP to take the easy throws, not to hold the ball, don’t be greedy, etc. I don’t think they want him to audible”.
But what exactly is an audible? Once again, this has been a topic of conversation recently because of the game-winning play a week and a half ago over the Baltimore Ravens. Pickett hit WR George Pickens for a 41-yard go-ahead touchdown. Before the snap, as he later clarified, he changed both the pass protection scheme and the route he wanted Pickens to run based on the coverage Baltimore was showing.
That’s not precisely an audible. He did not exactly change the play that was going to be run. The alteration of protection schemes is an 11-man job, for one thing, and can take place on any play because the offense has to be responsive to whatever the defense is doing.
As for changing a route, it’s still ultimately the same play being run with a built-in alteration option. The Steelers prepared all week to have a counter for the Ravens’ zero-blitz looks, knowing that they would have opportunities for one-on-one coverage for Pickens.
Pickett had the freedom, in this particular game, to go to that route if the situation called for it based on the defense. It was a part of the play design as an option at the line. He did not work outside of the framework that the coaching staff built.
Still, this doesn’t ultimately answer the question of whether the coaching staff wants to or is comfortable with allowing Pickett to call audibles. While Sullivan did mention wanting Pickett to take more easy throws, that’s a post-snap discussion that has nothing to do with pre-snap changing of plays.
He did say that he “absolutely” feels better about Pickett’s ability to make adjustments at the line as the season goes on, adding that he’s “shown the ability to do that”. But again, it doesn’t specifically address calling audibles. Sullivan’s likely talking more about things like pass-protection adjustments, something he mentioned multiple times during the interview.
By and large, we are left to speculate about the subject matter, but it’s reasonable to say that the on-field evidence is lacking. We aren’t seeing many examples of Pickett actually changing plays at the line of scrimmage, which is consistent with comments made by offensive coordinator Matt Canada and head coach Mike Tomlin.
