Kenny Pickett named Steelers starting QB: Here’s how the first-round pick will impact slow-starting team

The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t do boring. Seemingly every season, regardless of their record or championship odds, the Steelers seem to never have a season devoid of intrigue. Last season’s big story was the final chapter of Ben Roethlisberger’s 18-year career. This year’s saga is centered around Roethlisberger’s successor, Kenny Pickett, who will keep the starting job after making his NFL debut this past Sunday. 

The switch from Mitch Trubisky to Pickett comes at a pivotal point in the Steelers’ season. At 1-3, the Steelers are only a game back of every other team in the AFC North. That’s the good news. The not-so-good news is Pittsburgh’s schedule, with upcoming games at Buffalo, vs. Tampa Bay, at Miami and at Philadelphia before heading into the Week 9 bye. 

Pittsburgh’s pre-bye schedule led many to believe that, should coach Mike Tomlin decide to make a quarterback change, it would take place after the bye, when the Steelers’ schedule appears to lighten up. Instead, Tomlin decided not to wait, and the Steelers will take on their upcoming foes with their rookie quarterback, for better or worse. 

How will it work out? Here’s a look

Impact on offense

Based on this past Sunday’s game, the Kenny Pickett experience will be anything but boring. In one half of work, Pickett became the first quarterback in NFL history to have multiple touchdown runs in his debut. He further made history by attempting the most passes in a game without having a pass hit the ground. Of course, that record includes Pickett’s three interceptions. While two of his picks failed to hurt his cause, Pickett’s second interception, a high pass to Freiermuth that came while under duress, helped set up the Jets‘ game-winning score. 

Pickett’s inclusion in the starting lineup will impact more than the offense, but let’s start there nonetheless. With Pickett on the field, Pittsburgh’s offense was 50-50 in terms of passes and runs against the Jets. The Steelers were nearly as balanced in the first half, with 13 passes and 14 runs with Trubisky under center. Even more similar was Najee Harris‘ production with both quarterbacks. The Steelers’ Pro Bowl running back had exactly 37 yards on nine carries in both the first and second half. 

The Steelers’ offense will likely feature more runs with Pickett at quarterback. A strong running game is a quarterback’s best friend, especially for a rookie QB. Harris’ workload…