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Sums up how I feel about the season with regard to our evaluation of KP8. I said it last season, that keeping Canada was going to just waste time in the evaluation of Kenny
PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) ? It wasn?t losing to the Bills in the playoffs or losing TJ Watt for that game. It wasn?t the injuries to Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick, the middle linebackers. None of that is the worst part of the 2023 season.
The biggest waste of the 2023 season?the Steelers don?t know anything more about starting quarterback Kenny Pickett than they did at the beginning of the 2023 season.
Sure, he started 12 games for them in 2023, but what more do we know?
The game plan was so conservative and the offense so seemingly dysfunctional at times, how can we really know what Pickett can do. They were afraid to allow him to cut loose. It was about winning now, not building something for the future. The offense was like plugging holes in a dam without replacing the structure.
It?s one thing to spend a rookie season figuring out what you have in your first-round quarterback. It?s even understandable trying to do that in the first half of his second season. But Pickett will go into year three with a new offensive coordinator with more questions than answers and the clock is ticking on several impactful defensive players. Plus, you only have George Pickens on a rookie deal for two more seasons.
The Steelers coaching staff, led by Mike Tomlin-it wasn?t all on Matt Canada, coddled Pickett. They didn?t take chances down the field. It?s not to excuse Pickett, he made mistakes and could have hung in the pocket more, but it was so drilled into him about not making a mistake, how could he feel comfortable in cutting it loose?
It helped the team short term in limiting chances and likely turnovers. What did it do for the development of the most important player on any team in any sport?
They refused to see what Pickett could do. The only time he seemingly could be aggressive is when they trailed late and there was no choice.
Pickett has 13 touchdowns in 25 career NFL games, this season he had SIX touchdowns in 12 games, SIX. Those are ridiculously bad numbers for a quarterback in 2023. The Steelers have one 400-yard offensive game in Pickett?s career, that was after the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
The hopes going into the season in retaining Canada after winning the last three games, five of the last six down the stretch in 2022, was both he and Pickett would have an offseason to grow together. There was much optimism of Pickett entering the season as the unquestioned starter having the time with Canada. Nothing dissuaded that in the preseason. It clicked. It was actually perfect for the first-team offense in three exhibition games.
You know what else happened in the preseason, the Steelers were aggressive. Once the regular season began it was a group playing with sacred money. As we found out from Tomlin after Mason Rudolph became the starter, sacred money don?t make money. He allowed his third-string quarterback to take shots, but not the one they drafted to be the franchise QB.
Pickett could still develop in the Steelers quarterback for the next decade, but he and the team will go into 2024 not knowing.
Yes, they won 10 games. Yes, they made the playoffs. But this was never a championship team. They tried to win now instead of building a foundation, instead they go into 2024 with a shaky house.
2023. What a waste.
PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) ? It wasn?t losing to the Bills in the playoffs or losing TJ Watt for that game. It wasn?t the injuries to Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick, the middle linebackers. None of that is the worst part of the 2023 season.
The biggest waste of the 2023 season?the Steelers don?t know anything more about starting quarterback Kenny Pickett than they did at the beginning of the 2023 season.
Sure, he started 12 games for them in 2023, but what more do we know?
The game plan was so conservative and the offense so seemingly dysfunctional at times, how can we really know what Pickett can do. They were afraid to allow him to cut loose. It was about winning now, not building something for the future. The offense was like plugging holes in a dam without replacing the structure.
It?s one thing to spend a rookie season figuring out what you have in your first-round quarterback. It?s even understandable trying to do that in the first half of his second season. But Pickett will go into year three with a new offensive coordinator with more questions than answers and the clock is ticking on several impactful defensive players. Plus, you only have George Pickens on a rookie deal for two more seasons.
The Steelers coaching staff, led by Mike Tomlin-it wasn?t all on Matt Canada, coddled Pickett. They didn?t take chances down the field. It?s not to excuse Pickett, he made mistakes and could have hung in the pocket more, but it was so drilled into him about not making a mistake, how could he feel comfortable in cutting it loose?
It helped the team short term in limiting chances and likely turnovers. What did it do for the development of the most important player on any team in any sport?
They refused to see what Pickett could do. The only time he seemingly could be aggressive is when they trailed late and there was no choice.
Pickett has 13 touchdowns in 25 career NFL games, this season he had SIX touchdowns in 12 games, SIX. Those are ridiculously bad numbers for a quarterback in 2023. The Steelers have one 400-yard offensive game in Pickett?s career, that was after the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
The hopes going into the season in retaining Canada after winning the last three games, five of the last six down the stretch in 2022, was both he and Pickett would have an offseason to grow together. There was much optimism of Pickett entering the season as the unquestioned starter having the time with Canada. Nothing dissuaded that in the preseason. It clicked. It was actually perfect for the first-team offense in three exhibition games.
You know what else happened in the preseason, the Steelers were aggressive. Once the regular season began it was a group playing with sacred money. As we found out from Tomlin after Mason Rudolph became the starter, sacred money don?t make money. He allowed his third-string quarterback to take shots, but not the one they drafted to be the franchise QB.
Pickett could still develop in the Steelers quarterback for the next decade, but he and the team will go into 2024 not knowing.
Yes, they won 10 games. Yes, they made the playoffs. But this was never a championship team. They tried to win now instead of building a foundation, instead they go into 2024 with a shaky house.
2023. What a waste.
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