If you’re going to be good in one quarter, it better be the fourth quarter. That’s the saving grace for Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett, who seemingly struggles throughout the first 45 minutes only to come alive in the final frame and lead the team to victory. For now, Tomlin seems to accept that, joking with reporters Tuesday that they’ll “work on the other three” quarters of his game .
But not everyone is amused. On the latest episode of The Ben Maller Show, Maller said Tomlin is only trying to convince himself that Pickett is the answer.
“We like Tomlin, we think he’s great, but he’s full of crap when it comes to Kenny Pickett being acceptable at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Maller said. “You look around at Lamar Jackson or in particular Joe Burrow, Kenny Pickett, he is dreadful. I’m pretty sure if one of Mike Tomlin’s kids got 75 percent of the answers on their test wrong, that he would not be satisfied.”
Meaning, that Pickett’s “failure” in the first three quarters makes up the first 75 percent of the game. And Pittsburgh has been forced to rally late, to come from behind and hope it can eke out a victory. In fairness, it’s worked since the bye week last season, and in 2023, all five of the team’s wins have been by seven or fewer points. No team in football has as many wins as Pittsburgh with such a bad point differential, sitting at minus-30.
In an AFC North that’s tightening up, the only division where everyone has a winning record, the question is if the Steelers can sustain their success. They have four divisional games remaining, including two against the suddenly high-flying Bengals, whose offense is on track now that Burrow is healthy. Can Pittsburgh win the same way, holding Cincinnati’s offense in check so it can win 21-17?
For Tomlin, he has no choice but to make Pickett work. He was the team’s top draft pick and the face of the franchise, endorsed by Tomlin in 2022. The alternatives aren’t any better. Backup Mitch Trubisky is too reckless with the football for what the Steelers can sustain, a team with zero margin for error that simply doesn’t win games when it turns the ball over regardless of turnover differential. But if Pickett continues this uneven play the rest of the season, there will be questions from the media as to whether Pickett is the guy. And if Pittsburgh should begin going in a new direction to find someone else to be the long-term answer.
While Maller isn’t a household name, it’s not often to hear someone on the radio directly call Tomlin out like that. More voices will be heard if Pittsburgh regresses in the second half of the year.
