But they mysteriously didn't have anything to say about Pickett's subpar performance. Not once. Defense wins them games, and these guys don't say a word.
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Yeah. And Pickett's is 6.4.
But they mysteriously didn't have anything to say about Pickett's subpar performance. Not once. Defense wins them games, and these guys don't say a word.
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Yeah. And Pickett's is 6.4.
I agree with your points, other than Mason has only been game managing. This is true for the Baltimore game for obvious reasons (weather). Otherwise, in his first 2 games he averaged 11 yards per attempt. That's not game managing. In three games he has more 60+ yard TD passes (3) than any other quarterback except Tua. His footwork is a problem and I don't want him as QB1 next year, but I'm not going to categorize his play this year as game managing.
I have appreciated your posts and viewpoints for years. So its not any kind of attack on you when I point out that MR Yds/ ATT are skewed by Pickens taking a short slant for 80 yard TD and similar with DJ this weekend as well.
I know a lot of fans need to point to stats, because "the eye test" isnt something they can often determine what is going on, but I dont see you as in that category. Rudolph is looking at his first read and short to intermediate passing, while also reading when he has single coverage on the outside and looking at those receivers and taking care of the football. That is backup QB game management and I am fine with it.
I dont want him as QB1 next year either and we wont see him there. We know who he is and so does the majority of the NFL.
Pickett will get his chance with a real offense and OC in 2024 and there might be some thought of taking a guy like JJ McCarthy around pick 22 if he is still there (I dont think he will be), but more likely I see the Steelers using that #1 draft pick on ILB, DE or OG/C.
I understand YAC is part of it, but who doesn't that apply to? A big part of it is hitting the receiver in stride, like he did with DJ on Saturday. Mason definitely has a better deep ball than Pickett. He also isn't skittish like Kenny. Do you think Mason would be starting against the Bills if Tomlin had confidence in Kenny? I hope your Hasslebeck comp is right, but the indicators are few and far between. Mason is a good QB2 at this point. I have no idea what Kenny is...
And don't forget, he's not as fragile either. Kenny isn't the answer yet, but might be someday if he watches from the sidelines like any other rookie of his pedigree would. Mason is just now getting fair shot. I wouldn't write him off yet. Remember they said they had him graded as a first rounder. Everyone knew Kenny was a stretch in the first round.
My point is that using AVG YDS/ ATT to justify that MR isnt just managing the game and minimizing mistakes while the Offense relies more heavily on the run game, it trying to use stats to deny what we can all see with our eyes. Again, that is the formula to win with a backup QB and it works if the O line is run blocking, which it is fairly well right now.
Tomlin isnt starting Rudolph because he isnt confident in Pickett, he is starting Rudolph because he is managing the game and not losing the game and has 3 games of experience with the new OC and Sullivan calling plays. Pickett has 1 full game only since they fired Canada. So there is timing, practice reps, play action and some of what people like to refer to as momentum.
The O line hasnt been run blocking like this for the first 2/3 of the season, so whatever scheme, belief, effort, etc that is going on, I would not mess with either by changing up QB at this Point. I do however think that the Bills will look to focus on stopping the Steelers run and that should open up some play action concepts, which Canada rarely used and I think Pickett is better suited to run than Rudolph is IMO.
I still believe that in the long run, Pickett has a bigger upside than Rudolph does and we will see that next season, if not sooner. Fans are painting Pickett with the brush of 1.5 seasons of Matt Canada as OC and an offensive plan of running away from opposing defenses, while the Faulkner/Sullivan offense has been about running at the opposition and then more counterpunch off that.
EGJ, you clearly like Pickett more than I do at this point. I hope you’re right.
Its not so much that I like Pickett more. You just have just latched onto what he hasnt done and as many are doing, conclude that he can't do things. I see the tools, the skills, the attitude and believe that he can become a good NFL QB in a good system.
On The Pivot Podcast, Coach Tomlin discusses some coaches "resist the responsibility of coaching" and cite what players are or are not. They "run from coaching rather than run to coaching". Pickett needs coaching and now that Canada is gone, I think as long as the replacement OC is a good one, he can progress.
Look at the 34:01 mark of this video and you see the segment.
Some fans think Pickett is "skittish". Yet he has stood in the pocket and delivered passes under duress and thrown TD passes. Its because when he is getting no pass protection he has reverse escaped and got sacked. It worked the first few times in the NFL for him, but now pass rushers know to stay on his outside shoulder because they have watched film on him. Pickett isnt skittish, he just thinks he can escape and now he needs to be coaches on stepping up or escaping forward, as the worst thing is a sack for 5-7 yards. Better yet he needs pass protection.
When a guy resists coaching and learning, then its a different story, but IMO Pickett hasnt even got to that point yet. You have been down on Najee for years now and even though he gets 1,000 yard seasons, I think he has resisted some coaching/learning. Why does a 240LB RB still try and leap over DB's instead of dropping a shoulder?
Pickett IMO is not a finished product under 1.5 seasons with Canada as OC and 1 game with Faulkner as OC. If he gets the coaching and experience he needs, he can be a good QB1.
I’ll take your analysis as encouragement for better things to come. But I think much of it depends on who they hire as OC. I was very pumped about Kenny at the beginning of the year. But he really seemed to lose his confidence and was very inaccurate. I can go 50/50 at best that he’s the guy but my patience won’t extend beyond 2024. I appreciate your insights. Greg Cossell also likes him and that guy’s opinion also carries stock with me.
I saw the intangibles on KP and was high on him but I’m skeptical now, mainly because of his lack of durability and secondarily his arm strength and grip. I remember him floating a few deeper balls, in comparison, MR’s passes have more zip. This isn’t college, I can’t think of one successful nfl QB that has used gloves.
MR maybe flawed but he’s using the most of his skills and it’s winning us games.
With that said. it’s probably a good idea to get a good OC, roll with KP to give him a fair chance under competent coordinators, but we’re going to need a reliable backup because whoever it is will likely see some action. It looks like we have one, so offer MR upper tier backup money.
This is if we get bounced in the first round, if MR continues to play well and we advance I don’t see how the Steelers can’t make him the starter next year. Pair him up with a good OC, only good things can happen.
Last edited by Steeler-in-west; 01-08-2024 at 09:06 PM.
Kurt Warner, Nick Foles, Peyton Manning, Teddy Bridgewater wore 2 gloves. Roethlisberger and Brady would occassionally wear two gloves. Brady wore one for the longest time. I'm sure there are much more that wear one.
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He said that his were mostly weather related.
I'm gonna start wearing gloves around the office.
Pickett has been the game manager, and he hasn't shown much so far. Except his ability to not throw interceptions on three yard passes, and he hasn't dropped the ball while shitting his pants and running out of the pocket. These arguments for Kenny are getting ridiculous. Now we're talking about gloves????
I dont think the glove thing is that big of a deal as people want to make of it. Traditionally we grow up as kids throwing a ball without gloves so its just natural to throw without gloves. But if a guy start wearing gloves to throw in highschool or college and has literally thousands of throws with a glove on his throwing hand and is used to it, then he can throw with gloves on.
I have been around football playing and coaching since the 80's and grew up without football gloves, but I honestly find that throwing a ball with a LB glove that has medium grip, not like receiver gloves that are super tacky, gives me more grip on the middle 3 fingers of my hand and allows me to spin a better spiral with better velocity than bare hands. And I wear a size L glove and have approx 9" hand size.
A good breakdown here of Pickett's only full game under playcaller Mike Sullivan. He got injured the next game. The poster does a good job of explaining the coverages, pressures and concepts for the average fan.
Thank you for this...
I'm a Kenny apologist if that is a thing on here. It's weird how people ignore Kenny's small sample size without Canada but act like Mason is throwing 3TD's a game. I'm fine with sticking with the hot hand. I have always thought Mason wasn't given a fair shot and the "he was replaced by Duck" was a silly reason to write him off.
But I also know we have played some pretty bad defenses in Cincy and Seattle (run defense is worse than I thought) and Ravens sat a lot of starters on defense. Mason has made throws when needed so he gets credit but trying to erase everything Kenny has done is some weird stuff. "Kenny no longer throws past the sticks or throws long TD's. Those never happened. I think the way Kenny came out slinging vs Cincinnati showed he can elevate his game. DJ dropping that TD and then pouting the next play threw a wet blanket on a fantastic start. While AZ was 3 to 3 when he was injured he drove them to the GL.
The reality is the moment Mitch took over, fans blamed the change in the team's attitude on Kenny. Not on Mitch. So Mason arrives vs Cincy and puts on a show (just like Kenny) but also gets 3 INT's by the defense in front of the home crowd and now he they love him.. when they all hated him when the season started.
I will say Kenny has no one to blame for himself for the injuries. Dude runs into pressure and any hit has him running to the sideline. He reminds me of Jimmy G. Just can't take a hit and they gives other QB's opportunities to shine and replace him. The injury was unfortunate and its part of the game but man, Kenny was about to be a freaking hero if he stayed healthy with that schedule ahead of him headed to the playoffs and Mason is getting all that glory while Kenny is being treated like he's Mitch.
Sadly, Mason's small sample size is much better.
Look at it this way. None of what is posted on this board or social media really matters. Coaches and front office will make decisions about Steelers players and not fans. So I would not get too invested in being an "Advocate, Hater or Apologist" either way.
Who gets the glory and who gets the hate is an external thing. But it is kind of sad to see the local media jump on the bandwagons and hate trains, although a lot of the stuff out there isnt really from accredited media as much as glorified fans that have a website, twitter account or other platform.
Some 10-15 years ago, hacks started posting stuff on websites that really had no substance to it, but people thought it was informed. That has just accelerated in the social media era. I know that I am not always correct about things and there are smarter football people out there than I am. I also know that I have coached a lot of football, attended camps and clinics, read a lot of coaching books, articles, watched a lot of coaching tape on vhs, dvd, cd-rom, etc. So I can formulate opinions on what i have learned and experienced, rather than reacting to a tweet.
What will happen most likely, regardless of the Steelers winning or losing the next few weeks is that KP will come into next fall as the front runner to be QB1. MR will either get a contract offer from the Steelers or go elsewhere for $3-4million a year. Then the Steelers will have to figure out IF KP is the guy moving forward in 2025, or else draft QB again.
The concerning thing about KP is injury, it’s happening too often in his one and a half years playing. He’s got to get stronger and bulk up a bit. He should be given a chance under a competent OC, but the Steelers need good insurance at the no 2 spot. They know have it right in front of them, they should give MR a nice upper tier backup contract.
if a crazy thing happens and we go deep in the playoffs then it gets complicated
IF…the plan is actually to go with KP and whoever to back him up, I predict near the same results as the last 2 seasons.
We will have to draft another OT and a Center that can become starter level at some point next season. Continue leaning on the run game, so we will need another RB or 2 from FA and/or draft to keep fresh for 18 weeks. And an OC that knows how to run a pro style offense and isn’t trash at in-game situational play calling.
The Steelers and most of the NFL arent going to make any knee jerk reactions about a QB that hasnt finished his 2nd year in the league. Basically the recent timeline has been this:
- WEEK 11, Steelers fire Matt Canada and Kenny Pickett lead offense goes for 421 yards of Offense V Bengals! (278 yards passing). Fans think the corner is turned without Canada.
- WEEK 12, Picket injured, Trubisky in reclief and Steelers lose to Cardinals. Fans think sky is falling.
- WEEK 15 Rudolph gets start, puts up 397 Yds vs Bengals! (290 yds passing) Fans think Mason Rudolph is the next great Steelers QB.
- WEEK 16 Pickett doesnt dress. Mark Madden says Kenny is a bad teammate, with no credible sources. Fans hate Kenny. Steelers beat Seahawks.
The optimism from week 11 to the disdain for Pickett in week 15 is irrational. The Steelers, and almost no NFL team will not act that irrationally and move on from a QB 1.5 years in his career. Not just the Steeler way, IMO.
All depends what they do for an OC. New OC will generally get some latitude to get the offense in game experience and work out timing issues etc.
I find the current split role for Faulker and Sulliven to be odd, but if they keep that setup there will be some continuity and expectation of positive results. If they go with a new OC and new play calling nomenclature, then there will be some grace period while they work out the kinks with all levels of the offense.
We dont know if Tomlin will even be back, but if he is, then you should check out his interview on the Pivot podcast. He basically says "I dont think there is some cookie cutter answer as to how long that you give a player to work out." "But you generally all know when he is out of time". So they arent going to draw a line in the sand at 4 games and go with QB2, if there is progression of the offense, but if its obvious that the QB is throwing 4 INT a game and completing 40% of passes, then you change.
I honestly get a kick out of comments by fans like "They wasted our season by putting Mitch in". How was a season wasted? If fans looked at this roster and actually thought the Steelers were a Super Bowl contender, then they are delusional. This team is still a couple years away from winning the Division at best.
Look at the LB group and Cam Heyward getting old, plus the O line talent still isnt great and our CB's were a rookie who is turning out to be a great pick and over the hill Pat Petersen? The Steelers are still 2 good drafts and some free agency moves away from being good enough to get to the AFCCG. They will roll wilth Pickett for 2024 and figure out if he can lead this team to wins with a decent offensive coordinator and Offensive line. Dan Moore and Mason Cole are not serviceable, they are below average and Daniels is up and down too. Football starts on the Line, not at QB, WR, LB levels.