Kenny Run It? Pickett’s Legs Look Legit, Come with Complications

PITTSBURGH — In Kenny Pickett’s first NFL action last Sunday against the New York Jets, Pickett had a largely positive day passing but with a significant caveat.

Pickett complete 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards, a highly efficient if not overly explosive half of football. But he also turned the ball over three times, one on what he admitted was a poor decision to throw to Pat Freiermuth with the Steelers in field goal range and leading late.

That turnover ended up being one of the deciding factors in the Jets coming back to win, along with a poor second-half performance from the Pittsburgh defense.

But if Pickett’s passing was a qualified success, his ability in running the ball was an unqualified one.

Pickett rushed just six times for 15 yards against the Jets, but nearly all of them were impactful. Pickett took a quarterback sneak for 1 yard with the Steelers going for it on fourth down backed up at their own 31-yard line. He took another keeper for a second-effort touchdown off right guard on the Steelers’ second drive. Later, on a 3rd and 6, Pickett scrambled for 7 yards and a first down. He then took a read-option play for a 2-yard touchdown, running over Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley on his way into the end zone.

Kenny Pickett takes it himself for his 2ND RUSHING TOUCHDOWN of the day!

(🎥: @NFL) pic.twitter.com/a3EL6wvgsQ

— TSN EDGE (@TSN_Edge) October 2, 2022

One of his carries from the game statistically was a fumbled toss to Jaylen Warren. So of the five times Pickett actually ran with the ball, two were for first downs and two were for touchdowns.

“Obviously I’m not going to rip off 60-yard runs, but that’s something I think that if they’ll drop underneath a lot of things and give me some running lanes, I can use my legs and get first downs,” Pickett said after the game. “In the red zone it adds another element. 

The read option play at the goal line, in particular, allowed Pickett to highlight his combination of speed, decision-making and toughness. Pickett could have thrown it to Pat Freiermuth, but knew he could beat Mosley to the stripe and did.

“I could either throw it to Pat or take off running,” Pickett said. “Or give it to [Najee Harris]. Plenty of options. I like to have options down there and definitely use my athleticism as one of them.”

As the Steelers install a game plan for the Buffalo Bills this week, it’s safe to say that Pickett’s athleticism will definitely be a part.

“Mobility at quarterback, it’s something Coach [Tomlin] has talked a lot about,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said. “It’s obviously a really big part of the game right now. It’s a big part of making the challenge for the defenses, all those things.”

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The Steelers will be dealing with one of those challenges from the other side in Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Pickett said Allen is one of the NFL players he’s modeled himself after.

“Seeing how he grew throughout his career, how he started to where he is now, how quickly he ascended to where he is, they’re definitely things I want to take away,” Pickett said. “How great he is from the pocket, the things he sees, how he anticipates throws, using his legs.”

But there’s one part of Allen’s game that Pickett isn’t necessarily signing up for. The 6-foot-5, 237-pound Allen takes a lot of hits, sometimes even seeking out additional contact. That’s not something Pickett or his coordinator seem quick to sign him up for.

“I don’t want to take as many hits as him,” Pickett said. “I could definitely say that after playing on Sunday. We try and keep away from as many hits as possible. But he’s an unbelievable competitor. I love the way he plays the quarterback position. So, a ton of respect to him.”

“How many hits do you want your quarterback to take?” Canada posited. “There’s got to be a balance there and we’ve got to be careful with that. I love it, but we’ve got to be smart about it.”

Pickett can definitely make plays with his legs, but the Steelers didn’t draft him in the first round to be a running back. While a pass-heavy approach has the obvious risk of another multi-interception day, relying on Pickett to make too many plays with his legs could come at a cost, as well.