Kenny Pickett Explains ‘Miscommunication’ on Game-Ending INT
Kenny Pickett drove his Steelers down the field against the Dolphins late in the fourth quarter.
The stage was set: Enemy territory. Down 16-10. One last chance.
Then this happened:
.https://twitter.com/MiamiDolphins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@MiamiDolphins
INT TO SEAL THE WIN. https://twitter.com/hashtag/FinsUp?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#FinsUp
?: https://twitter.com/hashtag/PITvsMIA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#PITvsMIA
on NBC
?: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/vDQGJ9SfCd pic.twitter.com/81uBSUIz1c— NFL (@NFL) https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1584385031186747392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October
24, 2022
Now, I’m not a quarterbacks coach. But that’s not a great pass.
Pickett, with the game on the line, forced one in the direction (ish) of Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Dolphins cornerback Noah Igbinoghene said “thank you” and ended the game.
Speaking with media in Miami after the game, Pickett explained that game-sealing interception.
“It was just a miscommunication,” Pickett said. “I thought [Diontae] was going to come back down. He went vertical. That’s on me. I either gotta throw it away and give us another chance or make a better throw over the top to him. [So] that’s definitely on me … I either gotta run it there and get out of bounds or just throw it away.”
That wasn’t Pickett’s only fourth-quarter interception in this game, either. Exhibit B:
? INTERCEPTION ?
Kenny Pickett throws up the middle and is picked off by Jevon Holland with 2:57 remaining.pic.twitter.com/Ut10HxmJxy
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1584382555364921346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October
24, 2022
The Steelers defense held tough after that one, giving Pickett and company another chance. But, well… you saw what happened up there.
That just can’t happen. Pickett knows it, too.
“Yeah, I think there [are] some things to build on, but obviously turnovers –– they can’t happen. That cost us the game.”
In all, Pickett threw for 257 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in this one.
His first turnover came early in the game, however. It comes with an asterisk, too.
Check it out:
.https://twitter.com/Jbet26?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Jbet26
comes up with the INT! #FinsUp
?: https://twitter.com/hashtag/PITvsMIA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#PITvsMIA
on NBC
?: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/vDQGJ9SfCd pic.twitter.com/qEJRaCByxb— NFL (@NFL) https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1584346760704450563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October
24, 2022
NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay believes that one should’ve been called defensive pass interference, negating the interception.
Either way, Pickett had the opportunity to get it done in crunch time for the Steelers against the Dolphins and that didn’t happen.
Call it a miscommunication.
Ultimately, it goes down as a loss on the Steelers’ record, dropping them to 2-5 and last in the AFC North.
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