Division of labor shifting with Kenny Pickett at quarterback
Sunday marks the beginning of a new era for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett will get his first start against the Buffalo Bills and everyone hopes he can be a true replacement for Ben Roethlisberger. The transition won’t be easy but in just two quarters we learned a lot about what Pickett is like as a player.
One thing we have already seen and hopefully will continue to see from Pickett is how he approaches division of labor.
The Steelers have a long list of talented skill players and there are only so many reps to go around. But it didn’t take long for Pickett to figure out who his guys are and it’s a shift from when Mitch Trubisky was in the lineup.
Pickett quickly made it clear he wants to get the football to wide receiver George Pickens and tight end Pat Freiermuth. Both players had been grossly underused earlier in the season, especially Pickens.
The reality is no matter what, there are going to be players unhappy with their lack of targets in a given week. With three starter-quality receivers, a huge pass-catching tight end and an excellent receiving running back, someone is always going to be left out. Probably more like three someones. But Pickett could be great if he stays on his current path of feeling the football to Freiermuth and Pickens.
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