ESPN Writer Predicts Steelers "Downfall" In 2023 Highlighted By Offensive Turnovers From Kenny Pickett

At the beginning of the offseason, the hype was relatively low surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were coming off a 9-8 season in which they missed the playoffs. While they finished the 2022 campaign in a strong manner, they were able to simply take advantage of some lowly opponents. Moreover, quarterback Kenny Pickett's box score stats weren't particularly appealing.

Since then though, the media has seemingly hopped on the bandwagon. Of course, the offseason put together by General Manager Omar Khan is a big reason for that. Not only did he add some key players in free agency, but the general manager did an exceptional job in his first NFL Draft. In addition to the players brought to Pittsburgh, their very own have seemingly shown improvements.

What numbers will the Steelers quarterback put up in 2023?

That includes Pickett, who is expected to take a step forward in his first full season as the team's starter. Well, don't add ESPN's Bill Barnwell to that list. Despite his own colleagues being huge advocates of the AFC North side, he doesn't feel the same way. He attributes one particular reason as to why he expects them to come back to reality after the strong finish to the 2022 season.

"Before the bye [in 2022], they turned the ball over 14 times in eight games. After the bye? Pickett & Co. yielded five giveaways in nine games, three of which came in a Week 14 loss to the [Baltimore] Ravens. It's impossible to count on any team to turn the ball over as infrequently as the Steelers did during that stretch over a full season."

Interceptions were a concern for Pickett over his first few starts. Over his last eight appearances though, he had just one interception. To Barnwell's point, it was a huge reason for the team's turnaround over the last two months of the season. While the offense still wasn't particularly efficient in moving the ball down the field, things become easier when you can take care of the ball.

Still, the schedule eased up quite a bit in the last half of the season. Not only did the Steelers take advantage of lesser opponents like the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts, but they also had some luck along the way. That included facing the Ravens without Lamar Jackson. Barnwell wasn't done either in his assessment of Pickett and the Steelers.

"Pickett is a rookie who held the ball before his pass attempts longer than all but three other quarterbacks and posted a below-average sack rate. He had a 4.8% interception rate over his first five starts and an 0.4% rate afterward. Morphing from PJ Walker into peak Aaron Rodgers is a nifty improvement, but I don't see how we can't expect Pittsburgh to turn the ball over more often this season," Barnwell said.

You get the gist, Barnwell isn't buying into the hype revolving around Pickett. Additionally, he raised a concern about the team's cornerback room, specifically the fit for newcomers Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan. He mentions the team's high usage of man coverage last season, something he's not confident in with those two particular defensive backs.

After the season-ending injury to rookie Cory Trice Jr., the team's depth at cornerback has already been put to the test. Guys like Elijah Riley have stepped up, but the depth is still a concern for many. While it seems like many in the industry have flipped their opinions on Pittsburgh, there are still a few that aren't sold, and Barnwell is one of them. As an outsider, it's impossible to deny just how good Pickett has looked in two preseason games thus far.

What are your thoughts on these doubts of Pickett? Are you still concerned about the team's depth at cornerback? Do you think there's a lack of scheme fit with Peterson and Sullivan? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites, yinz!

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