Steelers’ rookie never stood a chance
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Steelers might be the worst team in the NFL.
Did you really think that would change with Kenny Pickett in the lineup?
Can we agree this sorry team’s many problems go far beyond the quarterback?
Some things never change. The defense, without T.J. Watt, stinks. The offense, even with Pickett instead of Mitch Trubisky, can’t score points.
The horrible combination led to a hideous 38-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Highmark Stadium, the Steelers’ worst loss since 1989.
“We played bad,” an embarrassed Cam Heyward said, “and bad is an understatement.”
“We got smashed,” a ticked off Mike Tomlin said, an observation he offered four times during his seven-minute postgame briefing.
Pickett, making his first NFL start, was no better or worse than Trubisky was in the first 3½ games. Pickett’s offense produced just the 3 points, fewest by a Steelers team since they lost the opening game in New England in 2019, 33-3. Afterward, Pickett lamented the fact the offense went 0 for 4 in the red zone after, in his words, “moving the ball up and down the field.” It didn’t help that Chris Boswell missed field goals from 33 and 45 yards on a typically windy day in Upstate New York.
“There were a lot of points left out there,” Pickett said.
But Pickett’s popularity with Steelers fans did nothing but grow if only because he started a dustup with Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson late in the game. He got up and shoved the 6-3, 265-pound Lawson after Lawson hit him low as he was passing.
“My opinion, it was like he went after my knee,” Pickett said. “That’s it. Tempers flare.”
“Appropriate,” Tomlin said of Pickett’s reaction.
Earlier, Pickett was drilled by Bills safety Damar Hamlin — a former teammate at Pitt — as he was starting to slide at the end of a 10-yard scramble. Tomlin didn’t like that Hamlin wasn’t penalized. James Daniels took matters into his own hands, rushing to Pickett’s defense and pushing Hamlin down hard, drawing a 15-yard personal foul penalty for his trouble.
“That’s completely unacceptable. That’s a dirty hit,” Daniels said. “You have to retaliate. I was just standing up for my guy.”
Pickett appreciated Daniels’ effort.
“We all care for each other,” he said. Unfortunately, that play and the Pickett-Lawson rumpus were the only fight the Steelers showed all day.
The Bills took a 7-0 lead just 1:04 into the game when quarterback Josh Allen threw a 98-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gabe Davis who, somehow, got behind Levi Wallace and Tre Norwood. Later, Allen completed a 62-yard touchdown pass to Davis, part of Allen’s 424-yard, four-touchdown day. He threw for 348 yards and his four touchdowns in the first half as the Bills built a 31-3 lead. He finished with a sparkling 134.1 passer rating.
At least on this day, Pickett never had a chance to compete with a quarterback who just might be the favorite to win the NFL’s MVP award.
Pickett’s best drive was the Steelers’ first. He completed 5 of 7 passes for 44 yards, converting a 3rd-and-11 with 12-yard pass to George Pickens and a 3rd-and-4 with an 8-yard pass to Zach Gentry. It looked as if he had extended the drive with a third-down pass to Diontae Johnson, but Johnson couldn’t get his toes down inbounds. Boswell had to come on for a 29-yard field goal.
“It felt good,” Pickett said of the opening drive. “I felt comfortable. I knew where to go with the football. The game wasn’t too fast for me. Guys were doing what they were supposed to be doing.”
Pickett kept pitching long after the game had been decided. He was sacked three times and took seven other hits. He finished 34 of 52 for 327 yards and one interception with a 74.8 passer rating.
“I thought he was highly competitive,” Tomlin said of Pickett, offering no elaboration.
Pickett said he will wait until he watches the film before he makes his own assessment.
“They drafted me in the first round for a reason,” he said. “I was ready to go. Once they drafted me, I wanted to be the guy. …
“This was my first start. I was dreaming about this day since I picked up a football. I was really excited to play. I’m going to keep playing until the last play. I gave everything I had.”
It wasn’t enough, from Pickett or from any of his teammates.
The dream turned into a nightmare.
For the whole bunch.