PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett — a respectable, sublimely confident, ultra-competitive quarterback who essentially gave the University of Pittsburgh the ACC championship two years ago — not necessarily on the field. Not a standing Kenny Pickett.
Not yet anyway.
Pickett has been an NFL starter for more than one season and is still a work in progress. Consistency, accuracy and rhythm seem to be elusive, at least during his first three quarters of the game.
Things change in the last 15 minutes. The happy legs that he sometimes shows in his pocket are calm. The feeling of being able to temporarily abandon him returns. And his quarterback rating and performance skyrocketed.
“He’s great in the fourth quarter.” Steelers manager Mike Tomlin said. “Oh, he stands up at that moment.”
If Pittsburgh (5-3) wants to stay in the middle of the hotly contested AFC North race, finding a way to extend the magic Pickett conjures in the final slot into the first three-quarters will be key. . He’ll get another chance Sunday when Green Bay (3-5) visits Acresure Stadium.
“It’s consistency.” Pickett said. “We’ve shown that we can do it, but we just couldn’t do it consistently throughout the quarter when the lead could have been even bigger heading into the fourth quarter. We won the fourth quarter.” There was no need.”
Not that it was a problem. Four of Pittsburgh’s five wins this season have come in games where they were behind going into Game 4. Still, the Steelers continue to find ways to survive when the going gets tough, thanks to one of the league’s most opportunistic defenses and a quarterback who truly looks like the cornerstone of the franchise. Only when it’s really necessary.
It beats the alternative.
“As long as we find a way to win, that’s all that matters.” Pickett said.
The same goes for Green Bay’s first-year starter Jordan Love. He bounced back from a largely lethargic performance in the fifth by throwing for 228 yards, one touchdown and no picks against the Rams last Sunday.
Like Pickett, Love oversees an offense that has struggled to get going. But unlike Pickett, Love has often been a factor in the team’s woes. The win against Los Angeles was Love’s first game without an interception since Week 2. And now he faces a defense that ranks third in the NFL in takeaways (16).
“They’re doing a good job of causing havoc and getting turnovers. That’s the key for us is not to let that happen in this game.” Love said.
Pickens’ plight
Steelers wide receiver George Pickens beat Tennessee even though cameras caught him sulking after teammate Diontae Johnson scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. He downplayed the idea that he was irritated after that.
Perhaps, but after averaging 82.5 yards and 4.5 receptions in Pittsburgh’s first six games, Pickens, who was limited to three catches for 21 yards over the past two games, wants to be more involved. There’s no doubt that I’m thinking about it.
“He’s an incredible player.” Pickett said. “Moving him around and doing a few different things and not making him a sitting target that you can expect to be in one place is a start.”
rely on newcomers
The Packers, who have the NFL’s youngest roster, have relied heavily on their rookie class. These rookies will look to build on the momentum they established against the Rams.
In this game, tight end Luke Musgrave scored his first career touchdown and Anthony Johnson Jr. had his first interception. Carrington Valentine defended three passes and defensive lineman Carl Brooks defended two more. Anders Karlsson made 2 of 3 field goal attempts. Lucas Van Ness had a tackle for a loss. Dontavion Wicks lost a fumble but had four catches for 49 yards. Emmanuel Wilson had a 31-yard run.
Jaden Reed had just three catches for 19 yards in that game, but has a team-high 333 yards receiving this season.
Processing the run
Run defense has been one of Green Bay’s biggest weaknesses throughout Matt LaFleur’s five-year coaching tenure, but the Packers have stepped up in that area in recent weeks.
The Packers allowed just 62 yards on 31 carries in a 24-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on October 29. In the subsequent win over the Rams, he allowed 68 yards on 26 carries.
canada on the move
Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Matt Canada will miss his second straight game. The club moved Canada out of the coach’s box to provide him with a different perspective and allow for more cooperation. Early results have been promising. The Steelers ran for a season-high 166 yards and scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time this season.
“Reviews were positive.” Tomlin said. “So we’ll continue to work in that area. And we’ll probably continue to flip other things as well to continue to improve.”