Kenny Pickett and the Pittsburgh Steelers knocked off Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans Thursday night. But Colin Cowherd thinks the Titans should be feeling better about the outcome than the Steelers. In a postgame recap show for The Volume YouTube channel, Cowherd praised Levis for showing he can be a special quarterback in the league. Something he doesn’t think Pickett has ever shown.
“You can see when they play,” Cowherd said. “Levis has a significantly better arm. He’s bigger, stronger, thicker. Plays with more confidence. Easier thrower. Kenny Pickett doesn’t have a lot of special.”
Levis held his own in his second NFL start after going on the road to play in Pittsburgh. He finished the game 22-for-39 for 262 yards, no touchdowns, but threw the interception that ended the game in the Steelers’ favor. Pickett struggled throughout the first half and was the central reason why Pittsburgh trailed 13-10 at the half. But in typical fashion, he came alive in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter, and led the game-winning drive, connecting with WR Diontae Johnson for a three-yard score with just over four minutes to play.
But Cowherd said Pickett has better talent around him and a stronger roster, and that’s why the Steelers came out on top.
“Winning is not a quarterback stat. Kenny Pickett has significantly better wide receiver talent,” Cowherd said. “A significantly better roster…Will Levis for most of the night outplayed him with a very smart, very mediocre receiving/tight end corps. On the road, this franchise in a rebuild with multiple offensive line injuries.”
Of course, the Steelers’ only consistent receiving threat was Johnson. George Pickens did nothing in this game, catching two passes for negative yardage and unable to get his foot inbounds for a would-be touchdown on a really good ball from Pickett. With limited production from the tight ends and backs, Johnson was the team’s only consistent target in the passing game, finishing with seven catches for 90 yards and a score. No doubt a healthy Pittsburgh run game helped, rushing for 166 yards and a touchdown, to take some of the pressure of Pickett figuratively and literally.
Still, Pickett’s calling card has been fourth-quarter magic. On the season, his QB rating jumps more than 30 points over the game’s final 15 minutes.
Still, it’s not enough to sway Cowherd.
“Kenny Pickett, two general managers told me. Couple of the best guys in the league. Kenny Pickett was a top of the third to middle-third talent,” he said. “But he was a Pittsburgh kid, and the Steelers needed a quarterback. And it was a bad quarterback class.”
The Steelers had their choice of any quarterback when they came on the clock in the 2022 NFL Draft, ultimately selecting Pickett. A New Jersey native, he played five years at Pitt and the Steelers cited having that level of comfort in choosing him over the other top names in the class. The 2022 class doesn’t look like it will be the second-coming of the 2004 one. Pickett hasn’t shown he’s a top franchise quarterback; Desmond Ridder was just benched in Atlanta; Malik Willis hasn’t worked out in Tennessee, leading the Titans to draft Levis; Sam Howell is being sacked an absurd rate in Washington; and Brock Purdy certainly benefits from being in a great system.
Levis fell into the second round, partially due to questions over maturity, but he was in a strong quarterback class that featured Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Anthony Richardson. A group that, though early, looks promising.
Cowherd said it doesn’t take long to realize which of the two quarterbacks playing Thursday night is special. And to him, it wasn’t Pickett.
“Kenny Pickett, he’ll win some games. It’s a great organization…but Will Levis, I see special. I see juice. They’ve got something there.”
Watch the full segment below.
