Steelers' future could be in jeopardy according to respected film analyst
Whether you're a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers or not, Kenny Pickett is a name that the league grew accustomed to in the second half of 2022. Looking to take the next step in his development and prove he is the future of the franchise this fall, some are optimistic, while others have their doubts. […]
Whether you're a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers or not, Kenny Pickett is a name that the league grew accustomed to in the second half of 2022.
Looking to take the next step in his development and prove he is the future of the franchise this fall, some are optimistic, while others have their doubts.
Alex Rollins who breaks down NFL tape for The 33rd Team recently dove into Pickett's rookie film. The conclusion he came away with was not very flattering:
Rollins does a tremendous job breaking down NFL players and college prospects on his youtube channel, even having one-on-one sessions with former NFL superstars like Chris Johnson.
In one of his more recent breakdowns, Rollins examined most of Kenny Pickett's snaps. Here is what he had to say:
"The Pittsburgh Steelers say they have found their guy but they are wrong," said Rollins. "On the surface, it looks like they do, as Kenny Pickett took over in week four and lead them to a 7-6 record, including going five and one of his final six as a rookie. There were four winning drives, clutch performances, and Mike Tomlin proclamations and affirmations."
"But when diving into the film, and combing through his stats, the Steelers might be getting some fool's gold. Pickett struggled specifically against zone coverage, casting a shadow over his perceived to be promising rookie season and revealing several deeper-rooted issues to his game that have to be fixed now, or he will never be the guy the Steelers think they have," noted Rollins.
So what exactly does Rollins mean when he says "zone coverage"?
This kind of coverage can be best summarized as defenders keen on the quarterback, as opposed to the man in front of them, which would be man coverage. The defense instead employs what we term "zone droppers" or defenders playing top-down, with a responsibility to stay true to their area or "zone" of the field, breaking on any reaction from the QB.
Rollins went further into Pickett's zone struggles, saying:
"His primary issue is that he struggles anticipating open space which is critical to beating zone coverage and that snowballs into other areas, added Rollins. "It makes sense watching him succeed more against man than zone because he has a tendency to freeze within the download when making his decision, or what we'll call his mental snapshot, struggling to move off of that split-second moment when pulling the trigger."
"Mike Tomlin and Steelers Nation believe that they have their guy moving forward, but I believe these issues will linger throughout his career. Yes, he could improve them and make me eat my words, as it has happened before but I see blatant flaws on his film. Pittsburgh thinks they have their next franchise quarterback and I hope they do but when you dive deeper into who he really is, I think they don't," finished Rollins.
Now, while Rollins is hesitant to anoint Pickett the second coming of Terry Bradshaw, he did add important context such as the offensive scheme and the rookie transition that Pickett faced. Steelers fans that are hopeful will call these reasons, while those who are doubtful will call them excuses.
Either way, we can all agree that it comes to a head this season.
For the full breakdown and All-22 video, click here.
Featured image via: © Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
