Steelers 4 Downs: Kenny Pickett’s strong work under pressure bests even vet QBs

1. Cool under pressure

Conventional wisdom is to rattle rookie quarterbacks via pressure and blitzing. For the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback, though, that’s been where he has excelled.

How about this nugget CBSSports.com unearthed: Kenny Pickett leads the NFL this season in completion percentage when blitzed. In situations during this past Monday night’s game in which the Indianapolis Colts sent five or more pass rushers, Pickett completed 7 of 9 passes for 69 yards. That contributed to season-long statistics for Pickett against the blitz that now feature a 106.9 passer rating. Pickett has not thrown an interception against a blitz in his brief NFL career.

According to data from Pro Football Focus that breaks down passing plays not by “blitz” but by when a passer is “under pressure,” Pickett is graded as the league’s sixth-best quarterback among the 37 who qualify. His completion percentage under pressure (54.4%) is seventh best in the league. And that number would look even better if not for four drops that, if those balls had been caught, would have improved Pickett’s completion percentage under pressure.

Additionally, PFF recognizes just three Pickett throws all season while under pressure that it deems “turnover worthy.” Pickett’s 2.8% rate of “turnover-worthy plays” while under pressure is seventh best in the NFL. That’s subjective, of course, but a rookie avoiding obvious mistakes is something to be applauded.

2. King of the short

Another advanced metric painting Pickett in a positive light comes from NFL Next Gen Stats. This one involves short passing, which Next Gen defines as throws that travel 10 yards or fewer in the air. Pickett completed 18 of 22 such passes for 126 yards during the 24-17 victory against the Colts.

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Next Gen reports that, for the season, Pickett has an NFL-best plus-6.8% completion percentage over expected on passes that are 10 or fewer air yards downfield.

PFF has data for passes that are thrown fewer or more than 20 yards downfield. It has Pickett as completing 69.8% of 235 attempts for 1,284 yards on such short passes this season.

3. Ready to ‘go’

The Steelers like to send George Pickens on “go” routes (defined as when a receiver runs directly toward the end zone). Pickens runs a go on 43% of his routes, the highest rate in the NFL (minimum 200 routes), per Next Gen Stats. Pickens has been efficient with such routes, creating a plus-3.3 receptions over expected on “gos,” the second-best ROE in the NFL behind Miami Dolphins All-Pro Tyreek Hill (plus-3.4).

Data from PFF dealing with not route but depth of target reveals Pickens has been targeted 20 or more yards downfield more than all but four NFL wide receivers (21 times). Among players who have been thrown to 50 or more times overall this season, Pickens has the highest percentage of throws that are 20 or more yards past the line of scrimmage (35%).

Six of Pickens’ such deep receptions were “contested,” as defined by PFF, the second most of any player in the NFL. The 109.7 passer rating quarterbacks have compiled when throwing to Pickens deep down the field is the fifth best in NFL for any receiver targeted at least 50 times 20-plus yards past the line of scrimmage.

4. Few L’s in the ATL

The Steelers enter Sunday’s game at the Falcons leading the all-time series 14-2-1. They have won six of seven meetings in Atlanta.

Of all franchises, by winning percentage, the Steelers are better all-time against only the Carolina Panthers (6-1, .857) and have a better road winning percentage against only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-1, .857) than they do in games against and/or at the Falcons.