Kenny Pickett was not able to have as successful of a rookie season with the Steelers as Brock Purdy for a multitude of reasons.
Kenny Pickett had an up-and-down rookie year, which reflected the outcome of his team in most instances. Every week seemed to bring a new storyline along with it, no matter if it was positive or negative. One thing people love to do, especially when it comes to quarterbacks is to compare them to each other.
It is a trend that has happened forever and will not end anytime soon. Pickett is starting to get compared to the success of fellow rookie Brock Purdy over the last several weeks. Pickett was a first-round pick by the Steelers while Purdy was the last selection in the draft by the 49ers. There are many reasons why Purdy is doing a lot of positive things this season that Pickett could not accomplish.
49ers defense is the best in the NFL right now even if Pittsburgh isn’t bad
The main reason for the black and gold finishing with a winning record this past season was because of their defense. They struggled at different points in the schedule, but they found their footing in the final stretch. They are not the weak point for this club, but they are not as good as the defense that calls the bay area home.
No defense in the NFL was better than the San Francisco 49ers group in recent years. They have playmakers at every tier of their unit. They have great talent in the trenches, at linebacker, and in the secondary as well. This has led to less pressure on Purdy to produce high numbers and set him up in winning situations when he gets the ball. Setting up your rookie quarterback with a short field and keeping the opposition out of the end zone will do wonders for the quarterback’s confidence.
San Francisco’s weapons make consistent plays to give their QB confidence
All-stars are all over this 49ers team when you look at the big names that litter their call sheet. Getting these playmakers, the ball in their hands is something that makes a rookie quarterback’s job much easier. Deebo Samuel is a hybrid type of player that can take over games, while Christian McCaffrey remains one of the best running backs in the NFL.
You top that with a top-three tight end in the league with George Kittle on offense, and it almost seems unfair. There are tons of options for Purdy to go with on any given snap. Giving these players a chance down the field is something that causes a rookie to make plays when it matters most.
The Steelers offense was the exact opposite of risk-takers, especially in the first half of the season. Pickett started to push the ball down the field more as he got more comfortable. Other than Pat Freiermuth being a constant contributor, there were no all-stars to throw to. Najee Harris was running poorly, and the receiving group did not show much to the point of Pickett becoming the starter.
Harris started to get healthy and run the ball better, which allowed for the passing game to get more aggressive. Diontae Johnson continued to drop the ball, both figuratively and literally. George Pickens was just trying to find opportunities, and all of these things made it more difficult for Pickett to trust his weapons on the offensive front.
The Steelers offensive line does not come close to the 49ers group upfront
Welcome to one of the biggest differences between the talent disposal between Pickett and Purdy. San Francisco has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. They have held that title over the last several seasons. They are what happens when your team invests in the trenches at a high level.
It is a testament to this group after replacing some linemen that left the team this past offseason. Trent Williams is the best tackle in football right now, and his teammate is one of the best right tackles in his own right. Mike McGlinchey is scheduled to become a free agent after this season, and he is going to get paid a lot of money on his next contract.
Perhaps people are too hard on the Steelers offensive line after the season they produced in 2022. No, they are not a perfect bunch, but they did get better as they pushed deeper into the schedule. There are some obvious weak points across the line that has to be upgraded sooner rather than later.
Dan Moore Jr. is not the answer at left tackle no matter how you look at it. He has gotten pretty good as a run blocker, but he cannot handle the speed of the NFL pass rush. They need to find upgrades there and at left guard to help Pickett gain more time to decipher defenses in this league before it’s too late.
Coaching has allowed Purdy to produce at a higher rate than Pickett
No one has been under more scrutiny than Matt Canada over the last several weeks. He has been the offensive coordinator for the Steelers for two seasons now and not much improvement has been shown. The offense was dead in the water before the bye week showed up. The turnaround after the bye week should be commended, but Canada deserves most of the blame for the struggles.
Pittsburgh has not had a good offense since Canada became their play caller. He is not the only problem, but he has been the main one. Pickett seems comfortable with Canada for the time being, but that might stunt his growth as a young quarterback in the NFL. This season is going to be huge for both Pickett and Canada’s future with the black and gold.
San Francisco is in another dimension compared to the black and gold when it comes to calling plays on offense. The 49ers are creative and have innovative ideas to help Purdy be the most comfortable as possible. Not every quarterback is the same and 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan recognizes this.
You need to find certain ways to make your rookie quarterback as comfortable as possible and scheming your offense a certain way can help. Shanahan has become one of the most respected offensive minds in the NFL, and you can see why with his adaptability. He has been able to lead the 49ers through three starting quarterbacks this season and keep winning games.
The Steelers rookie quarterback showed some signs of improvement as the year went along. Brock Purdy has proved that a quarterback can lead your team to wins as long as the perfect scenario plays out in front of them.