Kenny Pickett makes the Steelers O-line look bad, not the other way around

Kenny Pickett has to be smarter (and safer) than that, but the offensive line isn’t blameless.

Is it the offensive line that’s offensive, or is it Kenny Pickett? If you take Pro Football Focus‘ word for it, it’s Pickett.

Pickett’s taken 11 sacks this season, half the amount of the most-sacked quarterback in Commanders’ Sam Howell. According to PFF, he’s responsible for the bulk of them and not his line. The analytics site has charged the second-year quarterback with eight.

Most have come during the Week 1 opener versus the 49ers (5), but he took a few on the chin in their second loss of the season to Houston. He walked right into the most egregious sack he’s taken when his leg bent awkwardly on a sack by defensive end Jonathan Greenard. He was lucky to have only sustained a bone bruise.

Pickett has to be smarter (and safer) than that, but the offensive line isn’t blameless. They have to play as a more cohesive unit to take pressure off Pickett. A pass protection ratings composite combining categories from three different sites has the Steelers ranked 29th.

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