Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett’s NFL debut was a blended bag, as can be anticipated. He led the workforce to a comeback that the protection couldn’t end off, scoring two speeding touchdowns, but additionally throwing two significant interceptions, considered one of which was decidedly worse than the opposite.
However I don’t suppose anyone actually believes that head coach Mike Tomlin would possibly return and begin Mitch Trubisky subsequent week. That is Pickett’s job now, at the very least till he will get a chance to tell us who he’s. And he confirmed a whole lot of the issues that we believed had been good about him.
A kind of issues is his willingness and skill to face tall within the pocket and ship a throw below duress, which he did with aplomb on the high of the fourth quarter. Going through a third and eight, he delivered a strike to tight finish Pat Freiermuth for 18 yards down to the two-yard line whereas taking an enormous hit from the Jets’ protection. He acquired up smiling on the defender.
“It’s not robust, man”, he stated after the sport when requested if it was tough to face in there and take these hits. “It’s within the job description. It’s what it’s. I’m a quarterback. That’s in my job. I instructed these guys, I’ll stand in there, I actually don’t care. I do know they’ll get it proper. I do know my job’s to face in there and make throws”.
After all, his opinion would possibly change as his profession progresses and the hits begin accumulating, slowly changing into conscious that NFL our bodies are bigger than what he confronted in school. However to his credit score, his willingness to face and ship via contact within the pocket is one thing that he exhibited throughout preseason play as effectively.
It’s attention-grabbing that Tomlin did acknowledge this weekend speaking with Stan Savran on the Mike Tomlin Present that standing within the pocket and delivering a throw moderately than attempting to flush out of the pocket was one thing Trubisky may do higher.
He didn’t go higher at that in the present day, and after a poor first half, Tomlin made the choice to drag him and switch to Pickett, who confirmed extra poise and self-confidence. After all he made loads of errors, however he has time to develop.
This was his first NFL motion. Trubisky is a six-year NFL veteran with dozens of begins below his belt. There is no such thing as a motive that he ought to must be studying how one can do something associated to his job at this level in his profession.
So I say, stand and ship, Kenny. We’ll be watching.
