Remember when Pittsburgh’s Steelers QB Kenny Pickett was touted as the top breakout candidate my numerous analysts and media networks during training camp? Or how about that flawless performance we saw out of him and the first-team offense in the preseason?
Well, four weeks into the regular season, that optimism and excitement has vanished, replaced by a sense of disappointment and panic regarding the Steelers and Pickett. Through four games, Pickett has completed just over 60% of his passes for 803 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. According to Pro Football Reference, Pickett has an adjusted net yards per passing attempt of 4.49 and has a QBR of 29.3.
Pickett has flashed at times this season, making big plays to WRs George Pickens and Calvin Austin III for explosive touchdowns. However, speaking to the media Wednesday, Pickett stressed his desire to be more reliable on a game-to-game basis, looking to improve one specific aspect going forward.
“Consistency,” Pickett said via video from Jeff Hathhorn’s Twitter page. “That’s what I’m pushing to be. Consistently good and a great player. So, I want to be consistently good. Continue to be the guy that these guys can rely on, and it works as a team game. It’s the ultimate team game. We need the line, the backs, the receivers, and myself all to push the offense where we need to be, but I want to push for very high-level consistency.”
The Steelers offense has been anything but consistent this season, ranking 29th in total yards while having the 25th-ranked passing offense in the league along with the 29th-ranked rushing offense. The running game has almost been non-existent through four games outside of some late-game heroics by RB Najee Harris last weekend. Meanwhile the passing game hasn’t been able to sustain drives, instead capitalizing on a few splash plays in wins over the Browns and Raiders.
The entire offense must improve as Pickett mentioned above, but it starts with him as the team’s quarterback. Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot recently expressed his concerns with Pickett and the play calling in a video breakdown on the site. Stating the obvious problems regarding the scheme implemented by OC Matt Canada, Kozora also pointed out Pickett’s flaws regarding his execution and the mistakes he’s making on a regular basis.
The Steelers need consistency from Pickett and the offense to not only start to sustain drives and put points on the board, but also avoid going three-and-out consistently or turning the ball over to put more pressure on their defense. Pickett has shown flashes of having what it takes to be a good NFL quarterback with his late-game heroics last season against the Raiders and Ravens as well as from what we saw in preseason play. However, the time is now for Pickett to kick it in gear and be more consistent as the leader of this offense. Other parts aid in his ability to execute, but it all starts with him and how he approaches each game.
