One of the biggest criticisms of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense in recent years has been the inability or perhaps unwillingness to push the football down the field. Much of the blame fell on offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
Looking at the numbers, we have hope that if Canada is willing to open up the offense, quarterback Kenny Pickett can get it done. Last season, Pickett completed 39 percent of his passes of 20 yards or more. This is 11th- best in the NFL.
To put Pickett’s number in perspective, here are a few other notable quarterbacks from the list:
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens – 26 percent
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams – 25 percent
Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets – 29 percent
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills – 38 percent
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers – 37 percent
Pickett has the weapons to have a great deep passing game. Wide receiver George Pickens and tight end Pat Freiermuth are both credible deep threats and Pickens in particular is all but unstoppable when the football is in the air.