Steelers, Kenny Pickett looking for improvement inside red zone

For just the second time since he became the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kenny Pickett directed multiple touchdown drives inside the red zone Sunday in a 20-10 victory against New Orleans.

The first came in Pickett’s pro debut in Week 4, when he scored on a pair of 1-yard runs against the New York Jets.

Between those games, the Steelers had scored just two red-zone touchdowns in four games when Pickett was on the field. A third came on a pass from wide receiver Chase Claypool.

And so despite showing modest improvement in that area, Pickett was left wanting more. Probably because the Steelers had a season-high five possessions inside the red zone against the Saints and twice settled for field goals while Matthew Wright also missed a 33-yard attempt.

Instead of the Steelers offense exceeding 20 points for the first time this season, it stalled on that number for the third time.

“We’re not where we need to be,” Pickett said Wednesday.

As the Steelers prepare to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, they do so ranked No. 31 in points, averaging 15.6 per game. Only the Denver Broncos, at 14.6, are averaging fewer.

It’s hardly a surprise, then, to find the Steelers ranked tied for No. 28 in red-zone touchdown percentage. Whenever reaching the opposing 20-yard line, they have scored touchdowns 46% of the time, reaching the end zone 12 times on 26 opportunities. The Broncos and Houston Texans are the only NFL teams with fewer red-zone TDs.

“There’s less grass, right, so there are tighter windows (to throw),” Pickett said. “The timing, everything is faster. I’ve got to meet the guys at certain spots with the ball so they can get there on time. The game definitely changes when you get down there. The call changes, the system really changes. It’s something we can get better at. We definitely had improvement, but we’re not where we want to be.”

The Steelers are averaging touchdowns on fewer than 50% of their trips inside the red zone for just the third time in coach Mike Tomlin’s 16 seasons. The only time the Steelers had a worse red-zone touchdown percentage was in 2019, when it was 35% while Ben Roethlisberger missed all but two games.

With Pickett at quarterback, the Steelers have gotten touchdowns on seven of 18 trips inside the 20, which registers at 39%. When veteran Mitch Trubisky was under center, the Steelers converted five of eight trips into touchdowns.

“At times we’ve shown we can score in the red zone, but it’s got to be consistent,” wide receiver Diontae Johnson said. “When we get down there, we have to punch it in regardless. You do all that stuff to get down there, and you don’t get in and it bothers you.”

In the second half against the Saints, with the score tied 10-10, Pickett led the offense from the Steelers 15 to the Saints 10. Then, on first down, he was sacked for an 11-yard loss. After the next two passes were incomplete, Wright missed on a 39-yard field-goal attempt.

On their next series, the Steelers moved to the Saints 12 only to have Pickett get sacked on third down. This time, Wright made a 33-yard try.

“It’s going to continue to get better,” Pickett said of his decision-making. “I’m nowhere where I need or want to be. It’s a day at a time. There are things we liked that I’ve done that I can continue to improve on. There are things I can get a lot better at. It’s knowing what those things are and finding that out and going and attacking it.”

For the season, Pickett has completed 9 of 22 passes inside the red zone for 52 yards and two touchdowns. Inside the 10, he is 4 of 9 for 19 yards and the two scores. The only quarterback with a worse completion percentage in the red zone is Derek Carr of Las Vegas, and Pickett has the lowest passer rating of all NFL passers inside the red zone.

The disconnect has been felt with the Steelers’ two most experienced pass catchers. Tight end Pat Freiermuth has one red-zone touchdown after getting all seven of his scores inside the 20 as a rookie. Johnson is still searching for his first touchdown of any length after getting six of his eight scores last year from inside the 20.

“It’s going to come,” Johnson said. “I have to understand the situation I’m in this year, and I’ve got to work with what I’ve got to work with. Nothing I can do about that. Coaches can’t throw me the ball. All I can control is attitude and effort. I’m not trying to put bad energy on the field. I just got to keep playing, keep getting Kenny better. We all have to keep getting him better, and we’re going to do that.”