It wasn't very pretty for most of the Pittsburgh Steelers Week 16 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Somehow, someway the team prevailed, thanks to a stout defensive effort in frigid temperatures and a game-winning drive by rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett. The 13-10 victory kept the organization's slim playoff hopes alive and more importantly, taught them a lot about the young core they have on the offensive side of the ball. The box score is not going to cause anyone to declare the young signal-caller as a Hall of Famer, but he has taken immense strides forward since he became the starter.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 24: Kenny Pickett (#8) of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks to pass during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. | Photo by Gaelen Morse / Getty Images
Pickett was 26/39 for 244 yards and threw a touchdown and an interception. It wasn't necessarily a dominant performance from the rookie, but he led a 76-yard game-winning drive that resulted in him finding his fellow draft class buddy and wide receiver, George Pickens in the end zone with less than a minute to go in the game. He was 7/9 on the final drive and threw for 75 yards including the winning score.
Center, Mason Cole spoke after the game and was asked about Pickett's demeanor in the huddle. The veteran offensive lineman said that nothing changed and everyone knew exactly what was necessary:
"There was nothing to be said. We knew what had to be done," Cole said.
Steelers center, Mason Cole (#61) gets ready to snap the ball to rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett in the second half of a regular season game against the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Earlier in the season, Pittsburgh had an opportunity to beat a Miami Dolphins team that now has the edge over the Steelers in terms of playoff implications. In a low-scoring game down in Miami, Pickett had already thrown two interceptions heading into what would be the offense's final drive of the game. He threw his third interception of the game in the end zone and a troubling night for the rookie ended with a ton of critique and questions.
It appears as if the young signal-caller learned from that experience. Despite throwing an interception in Raiders' territory earlier in the game, he had one of the most efficient drives of his young career late in the fourth quarter. Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke to the media as he does after every game and wasn't at all shocked about the performance that Pickett had late in the contest:
"I don't think any of us are surprised with those intangible things that Kenny shows us. I think that the proximity that we had to his college experience kinds of makes us extremely comfortable about our knowledge of those things. I expect to see it. I think we all expect to see it."
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 28: Kenny Pickett #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during the game against the Detroit Lions at Acrisure Stadium on August 28, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. | Joe Sargent/Getty Images
The poise that Pickett displayed the entire final drive along with the absolute dart he threw to Pickens for the go-ahead score is a great sign for Steelers fans. A rookie quarterback has never won a Super Bowl, but what has proven important in their first year has been consistent growth. That was one of the most important things that Pittsburgh can take out of Saturday, aside from playoff hopes still remaining intact.
Were you impressed with Pickett's end of game performance against the Raiders? Let us know in the comments below!
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