As of Thanksgiving, the Steelers are out of the NFL basement in most major statistical offensive categories. They’re third-to-last in yards per play (4.8) fifth-to-last in points per game (17) and tied for second-to-last in touchdowns scored (although seven passing touchdowns is tied for dead last).
Of course, that’s no reason for celebration at the start of this holiday season. Clearly, the main course is lacking, but there are some side dishes that might yet make the rest of this seven-game stretch run more palatable.
Let’s start with quarterback Kenny Pickett, who if nothing else is finding himself a deep threat as he navigates the choppy waters of the NFL. Fellow rookie George Pickens averaged 19.3 air yards per target Sunday’s 37-30 loss to the Bengals and now ranks 12th in the league in that stat (14.2) this season. Among those with more than 35 targets, Pickens is third behind only Buffalo’s Gabe Davis (16.2) and Saints wideout Chris Olave (14.7).
