*If Kenny Pickett isn’t the guy, the Steelers have got to find the guy. How long will that take?
*The Steelers have won six Super Bowls. Each time, their quarterback has been a nailed-on Hall-of-Famer. Either Terry Bradshaw or Ben Roethlisberger. The NFL isn’t about tough defense and ball control. It’s about top-level quarterbacking. Now more than ever.
*To paraphrase the Post-Gazette's Paul Zeise, New York Giants Coach Brian Dabol is considered an offensive genius. But Dabol's offense stinks because his quarterback stinks. Daniel Jones is the problem, not Dabol. As Zeise said, “A bad QB or bad QB play make even the smartest coach dumb.” Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada isn’t the smartest coach. But Pickett’s rotten performance is the bigger problem.
*Consider the Steelers’ controversial fourth-and-1 play in this past Sunday’s third quarter. Yes, the Steelers should have kicked a field goal to pull within one score at 16-9. No, the Steelers shouldn’t have lined up in shotgun. But Pickett rolled left out of a clean pocket to put himself in trouble and get sacked. Even if what’s called is stupid, the quarterback is allowed to make a play. Pickett isn’t.
*Pickett’s problems can be boiled down very simply: He just can’t make throws, not least when the throw is there. Calvin Austin III was open deep when Pickett served up a first-quarter interception Sunday. Pickett badly underthrew. Between inaccurate delivery and poor decision-making, Pickett doesn’t give himself much chance.
The latter item is an excerpt from my column at TribLive.com. To read the entire piece, click HERE.
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