Following the 19-16 victory this past Sunday over the Atlanta Falcons, the Pittsburgh Steelers can now say they have won three of their last four games, heading into December football. While it may be a long shot, this Steelers team is still “in the hunt” for a playoff berth at this time. With three of their last five games being against inner division AFC North opponents, believe it or not, the Steelers have begun to position themselves a little bit closer to a potential playoff berth, and it started right after their bye week with a win vs the New Orleans Saints.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (8) mans the line of scrimmage in a 19-16 victory against the Atlanta Falcons. | Karl Roser / Steelers.com
The development of rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett has caught much of Steeler Nation's attention, and rightfully so. After starting the first half of the season with a total of eight interceptions, the Steelers first round selection has clearly learned from his previous mistakes, totaling zero turnovers in the past four weeks, as his decision making and composure in the pocket has clearly improved week in and week out. Not only that, but he clearly has improved his chemistry with each of his receivers, but there has been one specifically that Pickett tends to turn to in time of need.
That pass catcher has been second-year tight end, Pat Freiermuth. The Penn State standout has recorded 50 receptions for 597 yards, and just one solo touchdown in a Week 2 loss against the New England Patriots. So far this season, 18 of those catches for 230 yards have come in just these past four weeks. Not only has Freiermuth proved to be a consistent target throughout this 18-game season already, but also a clutch/reliable target in key situations, as he finds himself being the number one option on potential third down conversions more times than not. He seems to be Pickett's “go-to guy” in those positions, and he has not disappointed.
“I just know where we are gonna be and [Pickett] has trust in me and I have trust in him. He knows kind of where I am going to be, it's just a feel thing. I'm excited for the growing opportunity for us.”
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end, Pat Freiermuth (88) breaks a tackle in a Week 12 19-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. | Karl Roser / Steelers.com
The rookie quarterback is beginning to build chemistry with his other young play-makers as well, especially as of late. Along with Freiermuth , George Pickens and Diontae Johnson each have surpassed 500 yards on the season already still with five games to go. This means there is potential for this Steelers offense to have three players be over the 1,000-yard receiving mark once the season comes to an end.
Putting points on the board has been an issue with this offense all season, as the three guys mentioned above have combined for just two total touchdowns on the year (Freiermuth and Pickens). But over these last four games, the Steelers offense has scored a total of 93 points, just 24 points shy over what they have scored in their first eight contests. This has led to three wins and just one loss over this four-game span.
“It feels great. Earlier in the week, we talked about stacking wins. It feels good to finally stack them and it's going to be big going into Baltimore next week. We just gotta keep winning.”
This offense has looked like a completely different offense versus what we saw in the first half of the season. It looks like we got the right guy behind center and clearly he has play-makers on both sides of him, no matter the situation. It will be exciting to see how the rest of the year plays out. With just five games remaining, the Steelers still have a shot to make things interesting in the AFC. We have a young core of guys, especially on the offensive side of the football. It's been amazing to see the progression of each of them week by week, and hopefully that continues out over these next five games.
Do you think this Pickett/Freiermuth connection is one we will see succeed for years to come? Comment below.
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