A lot of really nice things happened to the Steelers offense Sunday night in the shadow of the famed Las Vegas Strip.
Kenny Pickett played his best game as an NFL quarterback, throwing two touchdown passes for the first time. The running game was at least semi-functional, enabling Pickett to use the play-action pass game with success. The offensive line, with help from the game plan and tight ends and backs, limited Raiders beast Maxx Crosby to one sack, the only time Pickett was sacked. There were big plays by Calvin Austin III and Allen Robinson II, picking up the slack with Diontae Johnson injured. There even was a Pat Freiermuth sighting or two. It had seemed like forever since the most recent “Muth!” chant at a Steelers game, home or away.
What in the name of Matt Canada happened in the 23-18 win that pushed the Steelers into a first-place tie in the AFC North division?
“It was awesome to go out there and be able to show all the stuff that we know we can do and have in our playbook,” Pickett said. “I think it’s a great step for the team to come on the road and get back-to-back prime-time wins, one at home and one on the road. It’s definitely a good feeling.”
It all started with Pickett. He was accurate, finishing with a 108.5 passer rating, easily the highest of his career. He didn’t throw an interception for the first time this season. He made plays on the move, something that was noticeably missing in the first two games. Many of his best passes came on rollouts. He had a 27-yard scramble that was called back by an illegal shift penalty on George Pickens, then a 10-yard scramble for a first down on the next play.
“It was the game plan,” Pickett said, adding it was designed to keep Crosby from knocking him into next week. “I didn’t want to be a sitting duck back there.”
There was a 72-yard touchdown pass to Austin down the middle early that pulled the Steelers into a 7-7 tie.
“It was big. We really needed it,” Pickett said. “I love Cal. Shows up every day. Works really hard. Is so talented. ... We missed that [play] earlier in the season against San Fran. It was good to hit it tonight.”
There was a 6-yard pass to Robinson late off a Pickett rollout to his left on a 3rd-and-2 play from the Steelers 33 that sealed the win. “Great play call, great execution,” Pickett said. “[Robinson] is such a trustworthy guy. He puts so much time in. He studies like I study. He sees what I see.”
There also was the Steelers’ best drive of the season, the six-play, 81-yard third-quarter touchdown drive that nudged their lead to 23-7 and left the heavily partisan Steelers crowd delirious in Allegiant Stadium:
A 17-yard throw to Pickens after a play-fake to Najee Harris. A 4-yard run by Jaylen Warren. A 16-yard throw to Warren after play-fakes to Warren and Austin. A 14-yard throw to Freiermuth down the middle. A 17-yard run by Harris, the longest of the night and part of the Steelers’ 105-yard rushing night. A 13-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Freiermuth after a play-fake to Warren and a Pickett roll to his left.
Maybe Pickett wasn’t Tua Tagovailoa leading a Miami Dolphins touchdown drive, but he looked like a competent NFL quarterback running a competent NFL offense for much of the night.
“Credit to the run game,” Pickett said. “You need the run game to throw your play-action stuff. It was really good to have effective runs — 3, 4, 5 yards — whatever we were getting. Just to keep them honest.”
Mike Tomlin had challenged Pickett and his offensive group last week “to get their mojo back.”
For one night, anyway, even if it was against a Raiders defense that had allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete a ridiculous 81.7% of their passes in the first two games, Pickett and the group responded.
“I think we’re on track,” Pickett said, “to getting it back.”
Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com and Twitter@RonCookPG. Ron Cook 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: September 25, 2023, 4:00 p.m.
Updated: September 25, 2023, 6:19 p.m.
