Those blaming KP

for the Steelers' struggles, really need to see the bigger picture here. Let's just deal in the facts for a second; 1) He's a ROOKIE QB! 2) The Steelers' rushing numbers are toward the bottom of the league 3) Two of his INTs were tipped balls (in fact the receiver touched the ball first) and one was a hail mary throw and one receiver fell down on his route.

Now let's look at some other pieces. The offensive line (if not the worst) is one of the bottom 5 in the league. A consistent running game is nowhere to be found! The receiver play has been very inconsistent, at best. Now, I'm not saying that KP has zero accountability here! There have been some bad throws (and not all INTs either). Some have just been misses. He also should have checked out of some plays (pre-snap) but we don't know all of the freedom that Canada gives his rookie QB, so....

This kinda leads to my next point. To the average person, who's just a fan and never played/coached any football, INTs and all "bad throws" look like the QBs fault. This is not true at all. AGAIN, I'm NOT saying QBs don't ever have fault when they throw a pick! However, in the NFL, there are so many "cite reads" by receivers (reading the defense and attacking their leverage- how they are aligned to you-inside/out/head up/etc) that actually many INTs thrown, are on the receivers (it's the receiver's fault). The QBs are making reads well before the receiver often even get to their breaks (presnap, within first few steps) by reading the defender leverage, movement, eyes, etc. So they are coached to throw the ball to a spot (a window). Sometimes, there is a defender unseen that steps in but often, the receiver does not make a break, does not run the proper route for how the defender was aligned/leveraged, etc.

Bad QB signs: Holding the ball too long (3+ seconds), Not climbing the pockets (not stepping up into the pocket-Mason was horrible at this), throwing off the back foot (especially to midfield), sailing the ball high on misses

Give the kid a little room here. He needs better coaching but more importantly better pass pro and a more productive running game. Give him another season to; get the playbook down, get used to the speed of the game (with at least an avg NFL O Line) and get some better coaching before you say how terrible he is! There are much bigger fish to fry here.

 

I have no idea why anyone would blame Kenny. This team has several more issues to address before we think our rookie QB is the problem. He is learning...and makes mistakes along the way. That should be expected I would think.

 

What’s worse the OL or outside CB or MLB? I agree all three are bigger issues than KP although being fair he hasn’t played well either.

 

I'm blaming Kenny for not catching the perfect TD pass he threw in the 4th quarter. He needs to step up his 40 time.

 

I agree....It sorta all goes hand in hand....if this o line could elevate its game , I believe Kenny would look alot better.....The MLB play has been downright bad... I was expecting much more from Jack also

 

If you fix the offense, then the defense(with the current players) would play better. It's been proven already this season. If the defense, get enough rest, they're able to sustain and hold off a late opponents drive. The defense, is exhausted by the 4th qtr. This also, lead to alot of injuries for the defense.

 

This theory would hold up except the worst part of the game against the Dolphins was the first quarter. They weren't very good in the first half Sunday against the Bengals, either, and the offense was sustaining drives then.

 

You can support and critique poor play of Kenny Pickett it is allowed. Just because your a Rookie doesn't mean fans can't critique mistakes.

Kenny is not a finished product by a long shot even given the 24 year old age and large time period of college level play.

I'm not sure his skill set will ever extend him into the premier level of NFL QB play. I don't see it personally at least not currently.

Could he be Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr.. well sure he could.

But, there is a lot of spots all over the team that have holes. Which why we should of probably avoided a RB 2 drafts ago and a QB in the 1st Round this past year.

But, fans love the shinny pennies... but shinny pennies spend the same a discolored ones.

What was bad is that we as a fan base that throwing Kenny Pickett into this offense would just instantly fix it. It hasn't.

The only real slight improvement is the run game the last few games.

 

It isn't about shiny pennies, and putting it that way is disrespectful of the opinions of others.

Not mine, by the way. I've defended Pickett from some of the foolishness on this board, but quarterback wasn't my first choice. I wanted them to take Dax Hill or Linderbaum, but I didn't have a huge problem with them taking Pickett. I figured they knew him better than every other team. I also think that if a quarterback is there and you think he is your guy, you take him regardless of holes you have elsewhere. You don't ever pass on the guy you think could be your long-term quarterback.

Regarding the running back, he better be special if you take one in the first round. Was Harris the right choice? Probably not. Would they have been better off taking Chubb instead of Edmunds a few years earlier? Without question. (Y'all can argue the logic all you want, but that's one name I put out there at the time.)

People who thought Pickett would fix the offense by himself were fooling themselves. Few quarterbacks can do that as rookies. Roethlisberger didn't. He stepped into a good situation and made it better.

 

There are a lot of problems, almost none are Kenny Pickett.

 

I can't speak for the fan base, but I didn't. And I think A LOT of others didn't as well.
We knew that this would be a work in progress and that it would take at least a season or two before we knew. And maybe even another one before be realized his full potential. And we know that there will be a lot of ups and downs along the way.
It's like saving for retirement. It's a long project. You shouldn't expect to contribute to it for 6 months and see big returns and become financially set.
Those who do likely will give up after a short time and spend the money that they should be saving on something more immediately gratifying.

But, I think what you wrote is a HUGE part problem. A lot of people not only expect it, they demand it. They were spoiled by Roethlisberger, they see Joey Burrow, and they think it's that simple. It isn't. Those guys are the exceptions. When it doesn't happen like that, they give up too early and want to move on and suggest asinine things like...draft another QB next year (like HE'S a guarantee).
Then I think that there's another contingent of fans, the ones who just didn't want the pick, who are just waiting for every bad throw, bad read, missed receiver, and interception, so they can't puff their chest and say "I told you so." These guys are the worst, because they've suspended all logic and rational though.

 

I think people would be more upset if the defense was playing up to expectations. It’s not, which is a big part of the reason why the Steelers are there they are.

The Steelers situation isn’t at all like the NY Jets, where a world-class D is getting held back by an inept offense. The Steelers have a mediocre D that isn’t good enough to overcome a really bad offense.

On the plus side, this gives the Steelers the luxury of letting Pickett learn on the job. I’m not sure they’d be able to do that if the defense was actually delivering the way it should be.

 

We had 4 3 and outs for the offense in the 3rd quarter someone posted

The defense had to be exhausted

Of course they were rotating players that’s not bad coaching as someone suggested it was bad offense

 

Our WRs need to help him out more. It seems like they run very defined routes and that’s it. Instead of trying to create separation when they see that the QB is scrambling, they stop in their tracks. Maybe with time…

 

Some folks’ hatred of Kenny Pickett on this board is bizarre. Makes me actually question their fandom. I understand that we can’t anoint him the next great first rounder after Bradshaw and Ben. Heck, he may be closer to Mark Malone, another first rounder. But to write him off after half a dozen starts in his rookie season when he’s shown flashes that he can be special is ridiculous!

 

Trubisky played awful in the supposed easier games, some like me were saying put Pickett in so would get experience. There is a experience quote saying , Good Judgment depends mostly on experience and experience usually comes from poor judgment. But when Pickett plays, the hyperbole like worst quarterback ever, 4 or 5 quarterbacks are better in 2023 draft, and so forth is never ending.

Did you not see an improvement in Pickett's 1st half of the last game and no interceptions, of course he needs consistency and improvement, but he needs experience under fire.

 

Goes both ways Bobby. I don’t disagree with a lot of your post. I’m a Pitt Alum and watched pretty much every KP game several in person. He was fantastic his senior year undoubtedly but the other years meh very average. Last year Mr Whipples offense really clicked for him he also had Jordan Addison maybe the best WR in college or at least one of them and a conference ACC that has terrible defenses. I like KP just don’t think he’s a first round talent. So far from what I have seen I still feel that way. He is a rookie and this isn’t unexpected but to call people out for criticizing him while he is your Avitar and idol isn’t fair either. Probably like most things somewhere in the middle. People are being to critical but his loyal fans are not seeing his deficiencies.

 

I watched that Jets Pats game and I dont ever think I ever witnessed a team sport where the entire defense played their a$$es off and this one player could not have played any worse short of interceptions.

That front 4 were swarming like Cam and TJ and Highsmith. New York media and fans alone will finish that kid mentally.

 

Something I brought up last year. They would get off the bus allowing a Td, and 1st thing after the 2nd half, and people would say .....it's because they're tired....LoL....So apparently they came off the bus tired..

 

Like others I didn't even want a Qb in the 1st round....CB for Me, but We got Him, and I believe He is actually progressing every game(except one)...right now that's all I can ask.
I don't know what His ceiling is, and really nobody else does either, but if He continues to progress.....He could be really good. We'll just have to wait, and see.

 

The Jets just benched Zack Wilson for the next game. He was 5-2.

 

OL play is by far worse than any of the defenders. The defensive issues are more technique/scheme based issues (there are a few people that need to be replaced though). The OL is mainly just a talent discrepancy. Most of the OL is slow footed and have bad hands. If anything, the Steelers need a couple guys up front (DL) that can get to the QB (generate an effective pass rush)! The DBs (in general) are being taken advantage of using a bump/run tech. in man and when running "cloud" (cover 2 flat defenders) they give receivers a free release (no reroutes- this disrupts receiver's timing). This, coupled with an inability to consistently pressure the QB= defensive breakdowns.

 

Several things here...

My idol? Lol, so if I change my avatar I can call people out?

The people that Im 'calling out' are the ones saying that he sucks, not the ones being critical. He deserves plenty of criticism.

"his loyal fans are not seeing his deficiencies"

Here is another HUGE problem....you're interpreting someone saying that he doesn't suck and actually does some good things as "being loyal fans" who "are not seeing his deficiencies," even though many who do so openly acknowledge that he does have deficiencies that need to be addressed.

 

LOL, there are people posting here who are actually pointing to this play as a poor throw on a busted coverage.
The delusions that people have just to try to make themselves feel better about themselves is both comical and sad.