The Pittsburgh Steelers dropped to 1-2 after a disappointing Thursday Night loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Part of the reason for that loss was the lack of explosive offensive plays.
Mitchell Trubisky is still the quarterback in Pittsburgh and it has not gone well.
In three games the Steelers are averaging an abysmal 18.0 points per game.
Also, their 272.7 yards per game are the fifth worst in the NFL.
Pittsburgh defeated the Bengals in Week 1 thanks to a dominant performance from their defense.
But, since the injury to T.J. Watt, the Steelers defense has not been able to get their elite pass rush.
That has exposed holes in the secondary and they need Watt back as quickly as possible.
While injuries are a part of the game, the Steelers can still help their defense by having a better offense.
To do that, Kenny Pickett must take the field.
The first quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL draft has yet to see the field this year but showed flashes of what he could be in the preseason.
TOUCHDOWN @STEELERS. @kennypickett10‘s TD pass in the final seconds puts Pittsburgh ahead!
📺: #SEAvsPIT on @NFLNetwork (check local listings)
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/cINB23wRfG pic.twitter.com/QezXd8IFcl— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2022
Pittsburgh needs to find a way to sustain drives.
Their time of possession is terrible because they can not pick up consistent first downs with Trubisky.
Head coach, Mike Tomlin, has made it clear that he will not entertain a QB change at this time.
That seems like a mistake for a coach that has not had a losing record in 15 seasons.
That streak will be in danger if he keeps putting Trubisky out there.
Pickett’s Debut Date
The Steelers should throw Pickett out there next week and see what he can do.
But, that is not realistic.
Asked Mike Tomlin if he considers making a change a QB or playcallers in the minibye
Tomlin: “definitively no.”
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 23, 2022
One date where we can think about seeing Pickett is Week 10 in a home game against the Saints.
That seems like a good date for Pickett because it is after the Steelers’ Week 9 bye and the first-round pick can get two weeks of first-team reps to prepare for New Orleans.
Also, it makes sense for the Steelers to make Pickett as comfortable as possible in his debut.
So, a home game, in the same stadium where he played his college home games makes a ton of sense.
Also, the Steelers are set to host the Bengals in Week 11, so giving Pickett one game to get acclimated to the NFL before a huge divisional matchup would be wise.
The second-half schedule for the Steelers is also much softer than the games they have upcoming.
Starting him in the second half of the season will give Pickett five home games and matchups against the Falcons, Colts, and Panthers.
Lastly, the aforementioned T.J. Watt should be back by Week 10.
So the defense will get their best player back as the offense gets ready for the debut of the rookie.
Pickett will give the Steelers fans optimism that they currently do not have with Trubisky.
Tomlin deserves the benefit of the doubt with the QB situation because of how successful he has been as a head coach.
But, at some point, he has to realize Pickett will give his team the best chance to win and he should be playing.
