Steelers: Tomlin explains astute reasoning behind QB depth chart shake-up
Young magicians always receive a piece of advice that's more than necessary for somebody who has dozens of tricks under the sleeve: "Always leave the audience wanting more." Fortunately, the Pittsburgh Steelers are not in the business of smoke and mirrors but rather in the business of gridirons and tackles. Because after Kenny Pickett's solid […]
Young magicians always receive a piece of advice that's more than necessary for somebody who has dozens of tricks under the sleeve:
"Always leave the audience wanting more."
Fortunately, the Pittsburgh Steelers are not in the business of smoke and mirrors but rather in the business of gridirons and tackles. Because after Kenny Pickett's solid performance last weekend they're giving the fans more from the rookie.
Per Mike Tomlin, Pickett will be the second quarterback to take the field for the Steelers versus the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday night. Mitchell Trubisky will go first and Mason Rudolph will finish the game.
As has been the case for most of the offseason, Steelers fans should be measured in their reaction to this news.
"We simply want to see Kenny in more varsity action," explained Tomlin. "Maybe getting in the first half for this game and, I would imagine, getting the opportunity to see front-line defenders for Jacksonville."
This not only means Pickett will get to see better talent on the other side of the ball but there will also be more game planning involved.
"We're doing a little bit more of game planning," said Tomlin. "Not necessarily significant game planning but there are going to be more things that our guys will be asked to do relative to this opponent."
Last week, the Steelers' rookie was able to complete 13 of 15 passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns. His 87% completion rate was impressive, even if he was facing soft zone coverage from the Seattle Seahawks.
As Brian Baldinger points out in his film breakdown on Twitter, Pickett and his receivers didn't do anything fancy but even in simple routes, the execution was on point.
We'll see if more game-planning allows us to see more from Pittsburgh's first-round quarterback. One thing I'd specifically look for is Pickett getting deeper into progressions and executing more full-field reads from him.
His patience in the pocket still raises questions and this will be a good opportunity for him to show progress in that area.
Pickett's promotion – even if temporary – suggests the Steelers are trying to get him ready for the regular season when the plan likely is to have him suit up on gameday as part of his development.
Featured image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
