There is general agreement with the notion that the Pittsburgh Steelers cannot properly evaluate QB Kenny Pickett under the system run by former offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Less universal in thought is what they will actually find once they get a look at their young “franchise” quarterback in another system.
“We don’t know what Kenny Pickett is because he’s been in such a terrible situation”, ESPN analyst Marcus Spears argued recently on NFL Live, offering that the Steelers offense did not lack for talent in spite of what the results might say.
“We know Diontae Johnson and George Pickens and [Pat] Freiermuth. We know that they have [Jaylen] Warren and Najee [Harris] out of the backfield”, he said. “This wasn’t an offense where you were devoid of talent. I’ll tell you this, I bet Patrick Mahomes would take George Pickens and Diontae Johnson right now. I bet a lot of teams in this league would love to have those weapons”.
Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs have been held scoreless in the second half of their past three games, two of which they have lost. They have been held to 17 points or less in their two losses, only winning 21-14 over the Miami Dolphins, after scoring 25.4 points per game in the first seven weeks of the season. Let’s just say their skill positions, particularly at wide receiver, have left something to be desired during that stretch.
“I think you get frustrated too by looking at the talent you have on this roster, and it not being utilized and not being in a position to have success”, Spears said of the Steelers. “Like we say all the time about coaches, no matter what position you’re in, from pee-wee football to the NFL, your number one job is to put players in a position to be successful. And Matt Canada was not doing that”.
While many regard Pickens as one of the best young receivers in the game, he only ranks 29th in the NFL with 604 receiving yards. His 37 catches don’t even crack the top 50, while his three receiving touchdowns are tied for the 40th-best mark in the league.
The one player who currently seems to be flourishing regardless of Canada’s influence is RB Jaylen Warren, who has rushed for over 300 yards in the past three games. He cracked the top 25 in rushing yards this week and is just a few behind Najee Harris at 493. He is the only Steeler who is in the top 50 in yards from scrimmage.
One area of the offense that has been a dead zone is tight end. Outside of Pat Freiermuth’s two early touchdowns, the position has been conspicuously underutilized throughout the year. it’s not entirely clear why, especially given that tight ends tend to be very quarterback-friendly, so it’s easy to imagine a different game plan and play caller influencing that for the better.
