Kenny Pickett won the game. That is not a small thing. He made the biggest throws. He again saved his best for last, dropping a 32-yard dime to Diontae Johnson down the right sideline on the winning drive.
I’m not sure I’ve seen a recipe like his — stink for much of the game, then unbelievably lock in at winning time — since Tim Tebow’s second year in Denver.
But let’s also be honest here. You and I, and I’m guessing millions of others watching “Thursday Night Football,” had a similar thought at some point in the game:
Will Levis is better than Kenny Pickett.
That doesn’t mean we were accurate. Just honest. Who knows how it all turns out? It was just a thought. Pickett is only a year into his career. Levis is only two games into his.
Thing is, such thoughts have struck me often this season in comparing Pickett to other young players, including C.J. Stroud and even Sam Howell. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Levis simply had the look of a higher-caliber quarterback, even though his team lost and he finished with a passer rating of 66.4. He made a series of amazing throws in the first half, standing tall under immense pressure, behind a ravaged line.
Think of it this way: If Levis and Pickett suddenly became available to every team that needs a quarterback, how many would choose Pickett?
Any?
Again, I’m not saying those teams would be making the right choice. I’m just being honest.
“This kid (Levis) has an arm,” said studio analyst Tony Gonzalez at halftime, after Levis went 12 of 17 for 153 yards, including several 20-yard-plus completions. “His ability to stand in the pocket has been most impressive. He doesn’t need to set his feet. That is some natural ability that you cannot coach, when you can sit back and throw that ball off your back foot without setting your feet. That’s something that’s going to make this kid very, very good going forward.”
We’ll see about that. Defensive coordinators tend to catch up fast. But I get what Gonzalez was saying. Same with game analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who said of Levis, “I think there are a lot of people around the country watching right now with an eyebrow raised saying, ‘Wow. This kid’s showing something tonight.’”
The second half didn’t go nearly as well. Mike Tomlin improved to 14-1 at home against rookie quarterbacks (Dak Prescott has the only win) and found a way to survive another close game. Levis, the 33rd pick in the draft, did not finish the job. Pickett did, playing through sore ribs that might have accounted for some early throws that nearly sailed to Station Square.
Plus, with embattled offensive coordinator Matt Canada working from the sidelines instead of the press box, the Steelers finally scored a touchdown on their opening drive (at which point I was hoping Al Michaels would dust off his, “Do you believe in miracles?” line).
Pickett is now 12-8 as the starter. He finds ways to win. It truly is astounding how he turns from Clark Kent — or maybe Kent Graham — into Superman. He took the Steelers 92 yards in the fourth quarter, finishing the drive with a touchdown pass to Johnson, at which point Michaels really should have dusted off his line.
Johnson hadn’t crossed the goal line since Terry Hanratty played here.
“I wonder if he remembers how to do a celebration,” Michaels cracked.
Pro Football Focus has a number, going back to the beginning of last season. It’s the highest-rated quarterbacks (by PFF’s system) with the score within 7 in the fourth quarter and overtime, and here are the top three:
• Tom Brady 85.4
• Pickett 85.2
• Patrick Mahomes 84.9
Pickett now is 6-1 in prime-time games. This was his sixth game-winning drive in 20 starts, according to Pro Football Reference. He also finished with a better passer rating than Levis, who threw the game’s only interception and nearly was picked off a few other times in the fourth quarter.
Pickett should have had a touchdown pass earlier, too, except that George Pickens could not get a second foot down in the end zone, despite plenty of room.
I’m not sure what happened to Pickens in this game, by the way. He had two catches for minus-1 yard. His best play was a one-handed catch on the bench on a throwaway by the other team’s quarterback, and he seemed to react to Johnson’s touchdown the way many of us would react if somebody dropped dog poo on our porch.
Anyway, yes, Pickett thrives in those “weighty” late-game situations. He just does. We’ll see how Levis does in those as his career progresses. He already had the kind of game (four touchdown passes last week against Atlanta) we’re all waiting for from Pickett and this offense, and he sure had people talking Thursday night.
To be continued.
Joe Starkey: jstarkey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @joestarkey1. Joe Starkey can be heard on the “Cook and Joe” show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan
First Published: November 3, 2023, 1:30 p.m.
Updated: November 3, 2023, 8:20 p.m.