3 things Steelers offense did right after firing Canada (and 2 that still needs fixed)
- Steelers finally used the middle of the field
- Pickett has already shown some improvements
- Steelers still didn’t score enough
By Andrew Falce
Kenny Pickett has shown some signs of improvement
Not so much an entire offensive issue and more focused on the quarterback play, Kenny Pickett did show some growth in this game. No, he wasn’t lighting it up, but he looked more confident with the passing game slightly opened up. This included this slot fade to George Pickens and both of his middle-of-the-field throws, as they were all darts.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to command the pocket like you would want. To be fair, a new scheme isn’t going to fix that as the quarterback has to be able to handle pressure, step into throws, and avoid sacks. He also needs to do all of this while delivering catchable passes.
Pickett still missed that mark this week. Sure, he had his share of highlight throws in this game, but he also still struggled to hit open receivers. This slowed the offense at times and limited their scoring opportunities. If this team wants to remain competitive, those issues need to be fixed.
I said after the Canada firing that expecting a sudden turnaround for Pickett was silly. That said, I want at least one game where he looks like a top-tier quarterback (multiple touchdowns and a lot of passing yards). That wasn’t this game, but Pickett did show some improvements this week.