For the Pittsburgh Steelers, all’s well that ends well. They came out on top in another close game Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, rallying in the fourth quarter to win 20-16. But for QB Kenny Pickett, it could’ve been a whole lot better. Maybe not his finish but definitely his start.
Speaking to Amazon Prime sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung after the game, Pickett vented a bit of frustration.
“I missed too many throws early,” Pickett told Hartung. “Pissed off at myself. Sorry, excuse my language…we’ll keep getting better. Most important thing, we got the ‘W.'”
Hopefully there were no children hearing that salty, salty language.
Pickett did not play well in the first half as the Steelers found themselves down – again – going into the break. While Pittsburgh came out of the gates hot, putting together its first touchdown drive on an opening possession since Week 15 of last season, Pickett cooled off after a solid first drive.
On an early third-down attempt to WR George Pickens, running free over the middle, Pickett’s throw was wide and incomplete. On a deep ball to WR Calvin Austin III, Pickett short-armed it and allowed the linebacker to disrupt the play, leading to an incompletion (Austin, to be fair, still had a chance to at least catch the ball). And on a 3rd-and-goal throw to WR Allen Robinson II, Pickett’s throw bounced and didn’t give his receiver a chance to even lay a hand on the ball.
Perhaps Pickett’s rib injury, no doubt painful and probably limiting, played a role. The question of the week was whether Pickett had the mobility and torque to make the throws necessary to play. Obviously, the team saw enough out of him during Wednesday’s practice to give him the all-clear, and that can’t be a convenient crutch to use from this game. His ribs proved not to be an issue late in the game when Pickett led another game-winning drive.
Slow starts are an issue not exclusive to this game or just to Pickett. The Steelers still have only 14 offensive points in the first quarter this season, and they’re too reliant on trying to keep it a close game going into the fourth quarter. Slugfests can win now. They won’t win come the playoffs.
But these lessons are always easier to learn in a win. Pickett’s comment captures everything you’d want to hear. Acknowledgement and frustration over his issues before pivoting to the only thing that matters — a win.
