Mike Tomlin puts Steelers' Kenny Pickett on notice after recent struggles
The Pittsburgh Steelers may be 6-3 and in fifth place in the AFC playoff race, but they could, and frankly should, be much better, especially on offense. And yes, they have dealt with injuries, bad playcalling, and played a plethora of tough defenses. But the last two games haven't been Kenny Pickett's best, and Coach […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers may be 6-3 and in fifth place in the AFC playoff race, but they could, and frankly should, be much better, especially on offense.
And yes, they have dealt with injuries, bad playcalling, and played a plethora of tough defenses.
But the last two games haven't been Kenny Pickett's best, and Coach Tomlin sys that needs to change:
'We're Gonna Need More'
“Man, we’re gonna need more. Particularly as this road narrows,” Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday. “But guys like Kenny and myself, we’re measured by wins and losses. He and I talk about that often and openly. We know what our jobs are. Our jobs are to win. And so, that’s where we are. That’s where our focus is. I love the fact that he embraces that. Down in and down out, are there some things to work on? Certainly, but it’s not like we’re going to start on Wednesday working on those things. We’ve been working on those things, and we will continue until we get the desired result.”
While I generally tend to agree with Coach Tomlin, I have to push back on this one, or at least the part about QBs being judged on wins. We have plenty of advanced metrics, counting stats, and the eye test via coaches tape to evaluate quarterbacks. Wins and losses fall at the feet of a head coach, but football is the ultimate team sport.
If wins and losses were truly a QB stat, then I guess guys like Nick Foles on the Eagles or Trent Dilfer on the Ravens are better than Dan Marino since they won Super Bowls and he didn't…
Oh, that's right, they aren't.
But as far as Kenny being better, particularly in the first three quarters, Coach T is spot on.
Pickett hasn't had the year many were hoping for, even in light of the infrastructure, (or lack thereof) around him. The truth is, he's just leaving too many plays on the field whether they are pure misses via ball placement, or missed reads after the snap.
The good news is, Pickett is likely to get his security blanket back this week, the rushing offense is finally trending up, and Pickett will be nearly three weeks removed from his rib injury on Sunday.
But it's all out in front both for Pickett and Pittsburgh. Coach Tomlin knows that, the fans know that, and most importantly, Kenny Pickett knows that.
So maybe now that the pressure is on, Pickett will pull out the 4th quarter magic down the stretch and start faster in games.
If he's going to do so, there's no better time than Sunday versus the Browns.
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