NFL
By: Melo Williams
Mike Tomlin had enough of what the Steelers offense looked like with Mitchell Trubisky and made the change many have been waiting for around #SteelerNation by benching Trubisky and going with rookie Kenny Pickett.
After Pickett entered the game he immediately gave the offense and Tomlin the spark it was looking for after rushing for two TDs giving the Steelers the lead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Jets was led by Zach Wilson and managed to score 14 unanswered points in the fourth and RB Breece Hall put the game away with the game-winning TD with 18 seconds left.
Yes, Kenny Pickett threw three INTs, two of them came from dropped balls by TE Pat Freiermuth and WR Chase Claypool. That’s a different conversation though. Back to Pickett throwing for three INTs, here are some names of some other QB’s who all had three-plus INTs in their first career game…Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Matthew Stafford, and Trevor Lawrence. Two are Super Bowl Champions. One is a retired Hall of Fame Champion, the other Champion is still playing and writing his career. One was on his way to what appeared as what was going to be a stellar career possible Champion but retired early due to injury, the last one is in his 2nd season still writing his young career and looking better in year two. All had horrible offensive pass-blocking lines. All four of those guys are number one overall draft picks in their class. So it’s not so alarming as some have tried to make it seem with Kenny Pickett having three INTs. No, it isn’t good but it’s definitely not that bad neither for the 20th overall draft pick in the first round. I’m not saying he’s Peyton or any other great quarterback, but let’s be patient with the harsh criticism and give Pickett a realistic chance to show if he has it or not.
Though the Steelers have to travel Week 5 to Buffalo to take on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills who had an impressive comeback win themselves over the Baltimore Ravens, I feel if anything Pittsburgh should take it as a positive going forward even though it was a frustrating loss, I agree. Kenny Pickett stat line in one half was 10 for 13 with 120 yards completing 76% of his passes. Two rushing TDs and 3 INTs. The longest pass went for 27 yards. The offense as a whole, body language seemed upbeat after Pickett came into the game and led the Steelers to two rushing TDs. The wide receivers looked engaged and into the game. Their heads were up on the sideline communicating and talking to each other. Rookie George Pickens had 6 Recs 102 Yds 17 yards per catch. By far his best day in one half of football with Pickett under center. The offensive line was pumped. It appeared as if they were enjoying playing football. When Pickett scored his first career rushing TD, the offensive line was ecstatic. Body language is energy as tells a story and the Steelers offensive group as a whole, their body language spoke positive signs.
With all the positives that the Steelers should take from the loss, it was still a devastating loss to say the least. Now the Steelers have a 1-3 record with Buffalo on Sunday with the Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Eagles to follow. That’s a pretty tough schedule ahead for the Steelers. The expectation was the Steelers would be at worst 2-2 heading into Week 5.
My thoughts were at the beginning of the season after seeing Pickett have a good preseason, that you make him the starter and let him and that young inexperienced offensive line learn and grow together especially if he’s your long-term franchise quarterback. Just like the four other quarterbacks I mentioned earlier. That way when the Steelers got into the 2nd quarter of the season, the offensive line and Kenny Pickett both would have grown together with real game-time experience.
Now it’s like preseason all over again and the offensive line and Pickett have to get on the same page with cadence and now how they will run and pass block with Pickett being a dual quarterback vs Trubisky who wouldn’t leave the pocket. All this has to be learned on the fly with a tough four-game stretch when Pickett and the offensive line could’ve been more properly prepared for this four-game stretch.
Former Steelers coach Super Bowl winning coach Bill Cowher and two-time Super Bowl Champion Ben Roethlisberger among other former Steelers have said that Mike Tomlin must stay with Pickett. I do believe Tomlin will stay with Pickett. He was patient probably more so than many other coaches and gave Mitch Trubisky the benefit of the doubt when many wanted Pickett starting against the Cleveland Browns, but Tomlin’s patience has run its course with Trubisky and I expect Kenny Pickett to be QB1 for the Steelers for the foreseeable future.
Tomlin making Pickett QB1, the focus shifts even more on offensive coordinator Matt Canada. If Canada play calling in the next four weeks looks questionable or not debatable anymore that he’s not a good play caller, I would expect Steeler faithful to be calling for Matt Canada’s job as well. The offensive line has gotten better, Kenny Pickett looked good in one half, Najee Harris ran well. That offense is too talented to have only scored 3 passing TDs through four weeks of football with Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens, and Pat Freiermuth. The next four weeks will be a great evaluation for Matt Canada, Kenny Pickett, and the Steelers offense because something or something has to change drastically fast or Mike Tomlin will have his first losing season in his coaching career.
I will close with this, I am not surprised Mike Tomlin announced Kenny Pickett as the starter and the Steelers make Trubisky available for trade to get some capital back with a draft pick or a player like a linebacker/edge rusher or defensive back. I truly believe the Mitchell Trubisky experiment is over in Pittsburgh as QB1.
