Kenny Pickett

After rookie QB Kenny Pickett led the Steelers to a second straight game-winning TD drive against the Ravens, his teammates and coach praised his ...

Moving to 8-8 heading into Week 18, Pittsburgh would qualify for the postseason with a victory over the Browns, a Patriots loss to the Bills and a Dolphins loss to the Jets. The Dolphins have significant injury issues at quarterback and could be starting a seventh-round rookie with the postseason on the line. [Cameron Heyward](https://www.nfl.com/players/cameron-heyward/) said, [via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review](https://triblive.com/sports/the-kids-growing-before-our-eyes-another-winning-drive-led-by-steelers-kenny-pickett/). And the Patriots already lost to the Bills by double-digits once this season -- the key might be whether Buffalo is still chasing the No. 1 seed when the game starts or elect to sit starters if their fate is wrapped up. On the game-winning drive, Pickett completed 5 of 6 attempts for 64 yards and a TD. The rookie avoided the rush, moved to his left, reset and fired a perfect pass to Harris, who was blanketed by Pro Bowl linebacker He's always ready to be that guy in the moments that we need him to be that guy. It was the type of play that displayed Pickett's potential. Pickett became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to engineer a game-winning TD pass in the final minute of the fourth quarter in back-to-back games. The rookie showed his ability to make things happen out of the structure on Sunday night. Several of his best plays came on the move, making good throws even if they weren't corralled.

The Pittsburgh Steelers playoff hopes come down to Week 18 thanks to their game-winning rookie quarterback.

BALTIMORE — It was a team effort to take down the playoff-bound Baltimore Ravens, but above all else, Pittsburgh's rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett stood ...

As a rookie, Pickett is ready to lead the team, even if they don’t make the playoffs. Mason Cole saw the playmaking that Pickett produced, and that is one of the main reasons he is proud of him as his quarterback. “It’s unbelievable, for a young quarterback to understand that, not trying to do too much but do enough” Cole said. Even on the defensive side of the football, players have to appreciate the way that Pickett approaches the game. Whenever he has the ball, we feel like we have a chance. Just ask his top receiver in Diontae Johnson, who will go to bat for the rookie quarterback whenever at any time. “I’ve been staying on him all the time, trying to just get him to be himself out there,” Johnson said. You got to love the way he’s leading that offense. He’s always ready to be that guy in the moments that we need him. With Pickett’s youth still in mind, Heyward is excited to see what Pickett can continue to do. A savvy veteran like Cam Heyward has seen how a franchise quarterback operates in the NFL. Mike Tomlin was not even close to shocked by the performance he saw out of his rookie quarterback, however.

Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett orchestrated a Pittsburgh Steelers game-winning drive to keep their playoff hopes alive in their win over the Baltimore ...

For the Ravens, Mark Andrews had 100 yards on nine receptions, while J.K. [division rival](https://www.foxnews.com/category/sports/nfl), 16-13, thanks to a late touchdown by running back Najee Harris from rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett. The game started with long, methodic drives from both teams, but they each ended in made field goals. On 2nd-and-10 from the Baltimore 38-yard line, he decided to throw one deep intended for Demarcus Robinson. And Pickett was delivering strikes on this drive, finding Pat Freiermuth for 20 yards to get to midfield after collecting one first down. So, yes, we’re saying there’s definitely a chance for Mike Tomlin’s group to get in.

Death, taxes and Pittsburgh Steelers versus Baltimore Ravens matchups going down to the wire are the three most certain things in life.

The ability to perform in the clutch is a pre-requisite of any good NFL quarterback, and Pickett's surely building up some goodwill and trust from his teammates after delivering in these moments in back-to-back weeks. There's plenty of work to be done moving forward, but the Steelers first-round pick introduced himself to the rivalry in stunning fashion. Pickett was able to regain his balance, square his shoulders and drop a dime over the width of Smith's shoulders, right into the hands of Harris in the end zone for the eventual game-winner. They still need a decent amount of help in addition to beating the Cleveland Browns this week at Acrisure Stadium. Pickett did an excellent job squaring his shoulders and delivering a catchable ball to pick up a huge chunk of yardage to get the Steelers up to midfield. We can talk all offseason about the numbers, both positive and negative, but the ability to come through in the clutch holds a lot of weight in terms of figuring out if a guy is the right man for the job. With Pickett in shotgun, he drilled an absolute seed down the pipe just over the outstretched fingertips of Ravens rookie safety Kyle Hamilton and into the arms of Sims who made a clutch grab in a ton of traffic. In his first real taste of what this game is really all about, Kenny Pickett made a lasting impression by marching the Steelers down the field in the waning moments of the contest. The Steelers relied more on their run game which was insanely effective while their defense was lights out in the second half. There have been more successes than failures in these critical stages but through it all, there's never been a time where he gave off the impression that the lights were simply too bright for him. When the NFL decided to flex part two of their season series into primetime, this is exactly the type of finish that they were looking for in order to draw ratings. Even taking all of those other moments into consideration, there's no trail run that can get you ready for what he was thrust into at M&T Bank Stadium: Steelers ball at the 20-yard line, four minutes to go and they need a touchdown to win it.

PITTSBURGH -- When former Pitt Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett found Najee Harris in the endzone at M&T Bank Stadium with 1:02 remaining to give the ...

"I just think we benefited so much from close proximity in the evaluation process," Tomlin said. It was what attracted the Steelers to him so strongly and compelled them to draft Pickett with their first-round pick in 2022. He's always ready to be that guy in the moments we need him to be that guy and it's just good to see it in a young guy."

Pickett has the arm talent to be a big-time NFL quarterback; he has proven he can make all the throws. There isn't a single throw I have seen that an NFL ...

What you can’t teach is what Pickett has done at the end of the last two games, and that is find a way to lead his team to win the game. The Steelers are in Pickett’s hands now, and that’s a great thing — regardless of how small they allegedly are. and Pickett has a lot of the intangibles — and more than enough of the tangibles — to be a great one. Pickett is the Steelers’ next franchise quarterback, and he is going to lead them to a lot of wins over the next decade or so. There is no question he has to keep working at becoming more productive, as he can’t just rely on late-game blood and guts to win games against teams with better offenses than the Raiders and Ravens. Barring injury — as always with football players — he is going to be really good for the Steelers.