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Mike Tomlin has a pretty basic answer to what many feel is a complicated question. The Steelers coach’s answer was in regard to Kenny Pickett and whether he needs to see more from his young quarterback moving forward.
Pickett’s play has generated a lot of buzz. While his numbers are relatively mediocre, Pickett continues to win more games than he loses. That, according to Tomlin, is how Pickett and all other quarterbacks should ultimately be measured.
“Man, we’re going to need more, particularly as this road narrows,” Tomlin said of Pickett, who has won 11 of his last 15 starts (not including Pittsburgh’s loss to Baltimore last year when Pickett left the game after getting injured on the Steelers’ first possession). “But guys like Kenny and myself, we’re measured by wins and losses. He and I talk about that often and openly. We know what our jobs are, our jobs are to win, and so that’s where we are. That’s where our focus is.
“I love the fact that he embraces that,” Tomlin continued. “Down in and down out, are there some things to work on? Certainly. But it’s not like we start on Wednesday, working on those things. We’ve been working on those things and we will continue until we get that desired result.”
As Tomlin alluded to, Pickett has room for improvement, specifically when it comes to his accuracy. But for whatever reason, Pickett seems to more often than not play his best football in weighty moments with the game on the line.
Take Sunday’s win over the Packers. One play after the Steelers fell behind for the first time, Pickett hit George Pickens for a 28-yard completion. The big play set up Chris Boswell’s game-winning field goal.
Speaking of stats, Pickett isn’t the only young quarterback to win games despite not compiling big numbers. Joe Montana threw for a meager 157 yards in his first of four Super Bowl wins. Tom Brady threw for a scant 145 yards in his first of seven Super Bowl wins. Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback Pickett succeeded in Pittsburgh, threw for 123 yards while recording the lowest passer rating for a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Roethlisberger in the process became the youngest starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl.
No, we’re not comparing Pickett to two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. But both players are examples of quarterbacks who ended up being all-time greats who didn’t always put up numbers that justified their greatness. Learning how to win games in the NFL is a talent, just like accuracy and the ability to read defenses.
The rest of Pickett’s game will eventually come. But in the meantime, Tomlin and Co. will continue to lean on Pickett’s strengths, which include his ability to rise to the occasion when the game is on the line.