The Pittsburgh Steelers had yet another close win in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans, with Kenny Pickett leading a comeback drive in the process. Despite all that, Pickett still has a lot to work on, and he knows it. He did not have a strong game, as he had just 19 completions for 160 yards. He knows that he has a lot of growing to do, and he expressed it to the world after their win. He spoke with Kaylee Hartung on the sideline for a quick post-game interview and explained his mindset.
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Kenny Pickett and Najee Harris celebrate the games 1st TD in 1st Quarter Sunday at Acrisure Stadium against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Pickett explained everything that went into his thinking. There were plenty of good moments, but he still needs grow, and he wishes that he made more plays. In fact, some of those missed opportunities might have directly caused an outburst from one of his teammates.
“I missed too many throws early. I’m pi**ed off at myself. Sorry, excuse my language, but I think we picked up the consistency in the drives. We were moving the ball really well. We had a lot of red zone opportunities,” Pickett said. "We had one down [in the red zone to George Pickens] I wish we hit on. But we’ll keep getting better. And the most important thing is we got the W.”
Pickett missed a few open throws, primarily to George Pickens, and those missed opportunities kept the Steelers from scoring even more points in the game. Those incomplete passes are a potential reason as to why Pickens threw a fit on Instagram before claiming that it had nothing to do with Pickett, or even football in general.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Kenny Pickett and George Pickens celebrating after a touchdown at Acrisure Stadium in 2022
The most impactful of the missed plays was a goal-line fade to Pickens that was slightly overthrown. Even though Pickens could have at least tried to drag his foot to help his quarterback out, Pickett also could have thrown a better ball to get the score. The Steelers still managed to get a field goal in the process, but scoring a touchdown there would have made the game less stressful than it had to be.
Steelers Good Moments On Offense Highlighted By Pickett
He also spoke about a couple of improvements that the Steelers have made offensively. The Steelers' defense normally sets up the offense with good field position, but they did not do that in Week 9. Despite that, Pickett was able to lead four long scoring drives, with the shortest being 65 yards. His usual comeback drive was the longest one of the game, totaling 92 yards for the touchdown.
Not only did they drive down the field multiple times, but they were able to do so in all four quarters, as opposed to just doing it all in the second half. While the lack of scoring drives is still a problem, it is great to see them moving the ball down the field throughout the game. Progress is progress, and that game is something that the Steelers can build on for the future.
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Steelers running back Najee Harris celebrates his first rushing touchdown of the 2023 season in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams during a Week 7 game at SoFi Stadium.
Pickett also mentioned the fact that the Steelers had multiple red zone opportunities in the game. Not only did they get into the red zone, but they were able to score during all four trips. Even though they would like to score touchdowns every time they get close to the end zone, it is great to see them march down there repeatedly while capitalizing in the process. That level of consistency can help Pickett and the offense grow throughout the season.
What do you think about Pickett taking accountability for his bad plays, as well as him acknowledging the improvements that the offense made throughout the game? Do you think he is the Steelers long-term solution at quarterback? Let us know in the comments.
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