Calm, cool and confident. Those are three words you could describe Kenny Pickett for most of his rookie season. This year, those words are antonyms of what he displays on the field.
For whatever reason, Pickett isn’t playing up to his potential, and the Pittsburgh Steelers offense is paying for it. Coordinator Matt Canada certainly isn’t helping the situation, but he needs to execute what’s called.
Cam Heyward gets what Pickett is going through, only from the other side of the ball. Now a three-time All-Pro, it took Heyward a few seasons to catch on to NFL speed, make an impact and earn a starting role.
Heyward, on injured reserve with a groin injury through possibly Week 9, offered some sage advice for the young quarterback.
“Just embrace it. It’s not perfect, but you’re going to keep battling back, and everybody believes in you,” Heyward told Steelers Wire. “I don’t think anybody’s running from it. Kenny is our leader and on the offensive side of the ball, and we believe in him. We’re not saying he was going to be perfect in year two. You got to have your bumps and bruises, and he’s going to keep battling for us.”
After a game in which Pickett threw no touchdowns (and one interception) versus the Houston Texans, he threw a deep 41-yard score to George Pickens for the win in Week 5 versus Baltimore. But he barely completed half of his passes (56.3 percent), a concern hanging around all season.
While few teams like early byes, the Steelers’ Week 6 bye comes at a good time. It’s a long road ahead, but if Pickett and the team use their time wisely, they could come out on October 22 versus the Rams and look like a much-improved unit.
