Former Pittsburgh Steelers CB Ike Taylor was the most recent guest on Cameron Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast, and he offered some advice for second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. Taylor thinks that Pickett has to be more proactive at pushing the ball downfield and taking shots.
“He just gotta let it go,” Taylor said. “Whatever you see, sling it. Cause he got everything we’re looking for to be a franchise quarterback. Just let it go. You got two receivers that’s dawgs. [George Pickens], he not from here, he an alien. Diontae Johnson, he probably one of the best route runners. You got Calvin [Austin III], he gonna take the top off the roof. And we ain’t even talking about the tight ends. What I would tell Kenny is have fun and let the ball go.”
Pickett does have two long passing touchdowns this season, hitting Austin on a 72-yard strike in Week Three against the Las Vegas Raiders, which came a week after a 71-yard catch-and-run touchdown from Pickens. Pickens also has a 41-yard touchdown reception, which was the go-ahead score in Pittsburgh’s Week Five win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Pittsburgh has 20 explosive passing plays of 20-plus yards this season, but just two of those have come in the last two weeks, and in Week Eight it came on a Mitch Trubisky touchdown pass to Pickens. But in the two preceding games, wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh had nine explosive passing plays combined. It’s been Pickens who’s been the biggest benefactor of those shot plays, as he’s generated 351 yards and 3 touchdowns on his 12 receptions that have gone for at least yards.
It’s not surprising to see that Pittsburgh’s vertical passing game has become less of a part of the offense as Pickens has done less. He has just three receptions for 21 yards over the last two games, and without him open or even in single coverage downfield, Pickett isn’t as comfortable at taking shots. Taylor mentions Austin as a player who can take the top off the defense, but Pickett missed a throw over the middle to him against Tennessee (a ball that still could’ve been caught), and Austin’s only explosive play this season has been that touchdown against Las Vegas.
One way to open up the downfield offense is to try and get Austin more involved, but he has such a small catch radius, and with Pickett struggling a bit this season, it’s no sure thing that connection could pay dividends. While there’s a balance to be struck over how much Pittsburgh can and should throw the ball down the field, it’s one thing that Pickett needs to show more routinely.
He’s shown some flashes, but he hasn’t shown enough to look like a definite franchise quarterback. A big part of that is the fact he just doesn’t take a ton of chances downfield. Having that big-play element consistently an option in Pittsburgh’s offense could open things up for the run game and help open things up in the underneath passing game as well. We’ll see if it can become a more prevalent part of the Steelers’ game plan going forward.
Watch the full Not Just Football podcast below.
