Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Inaccurate close to rookie campaign
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Pickett completed 13 of 29 passes for 195 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Browns.
Pickett entered Sunday's game with some momentum after leading game-winning drives in back-to-back weeks. However, the Pittsburgh offense was stalled early on, as Pickett began with just one completion on his first six attempts. He improved marginally from there and managed five completions of more than 20 yards for the second time in his career. While Pickett closes his rookie campaign with only seven touchdowns and nine interceptions across 13 games, his performance is trending in a positive direction heading into his sophomore season.
Pickett completed 15 of 27 pass attempts for168 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 16-13 win over the Ravens.
Pickett didn't post gaudy fantasy totals, but he protected the ball well and produced a game-winning touchdown drive for the second consecutive week to keep Pittsburgh's playoff hopes alive. The rookie signal-caller dropped a dime to Najee Harris between two defenders with less than a minute left on the aforementioned drive to put the Steelers up for good. Pickett has had his ups and downs this season, but he is starting to look like a successful pick in a draft that wasn't considered strong at his position. The Steelers will need some help to make the playoffs, but Pickett will attempt to take care of business against an already-eliminated Browns squad Sunday.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Out of protocol, good to go Saturday
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Pickett will start Saturday's game against the Raiders after he confirmed that he was cleared by an independent neurologist Monday and removed from the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, Dale Lolley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Pickett entered the concussion protocol for the second time this season during the Steelers' Week 14 loss to the Ravens, when he exited the contest and then briefly re-entered before leaving the game for good after self-reporting symptoms of a brain injury, according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The rookie signal-caller wasn't able to advance beyond limited participation in practice last week and ended up sitting out Pittsburgh's win over Carolina on Sunday, but he's been able to take every rep with the first-team offense so far in Week 16. Though he'll reclaim starting duties from Mitch Trubisky this weekend, Pickett told Lolley that he'll be switching helmets and wearing a visor with the hope of offering better protection against another head injury over the final three games of the season.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Listed as FP on Tuesday
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Pickett (concussion) is listed as a full participant on Tuesday's estimated practice report, Dale Lolley of the Steelers' official site reports.
While the Steelers didn't actually practice Tuesday, coach Mike Tomlin said he expects Pickett to return and start Saturday against the Raiders. Of course, the rookie will first need to clear the NFL's concussion protocol -- something that still hadn't happened as of Tuesday morning, per Tomlin.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: In line to start Saturday
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Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that he expects Pickett (concussion) to start Saturday's game against the Raiders, Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site reports.
Pickett entered the concussion protocol during the Steelers' Week 14 loss to the Ravens. He consequently was limited in practice last Wednesday through Friday before eventually getting ruled out Saturday for Sunday's contest at Carolina. Mitch Trubisky got the nod for Pickett in the 24-16 win, completing 17 of 22 passes for 179 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions while adding six carries for nine yards and a touchdown. Tomlin also said Tuesday that Pickett would have been a full participant if Pittsburgh had held practice, but the quarterback still has to "check a box" as he makes his way through the protocol for head injuries, per Alan Saunders of PittsburghSportsNow.com.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Won't play Sunday
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Pickett (concussion) has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the Panthers.
With Pickett unavailable, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com relays that Mitch Trubisky will start at QB for the Steelers on Sunday. Pickett will target a potential return to action in Week 16 against the Raiders.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Another limited practice
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Pickett (concussion) was a limited practice participant Thursday.
The report notes that with Pickett still in the NFL's concussion protocol, fellow quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph have been logging added work at practice. If Pickett isn't cleared to play Sunday against the Panthers, it remains to be seen who would be in line to start in his place, with Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com having noted that Trubisky and Rudolph split the Steelers' first-team reps Wednesday, while Pickett went through individual drills.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Limited in first Week 15 practice
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Pickett (concussion) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.
Though the extent of Pickett's activity in the Steelers' first Week 15 session isn't fully known, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com relays that Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky split the first-team work during the portion of practice that was open to the media. Pryor's report suggests that Pickett may have taken part mostly in individual work, but his presence on the field in any capacity at least demonstrates some level of progression through the NFL's five-step concussion protocol. Since he's now in the protocol for a second time during his rookie season, Pickett may have a tough time gaining clearance ahead of Sunday's game in Carolina. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will likely wait until after Friday's practice session before announcing whether Pickett, Rudolph or Trubisky will draw the Week 15 start.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: One To Stash (QB Preview)
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We're hopeful Kenny Pickett will be back in Week 15, or Week 16 at the latest. If he is, he makes an excellent streamer against a Raiders defense that has allowed the fourth-most Fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: In concussion protocol
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Pickett (concussion) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Ravens.
The report confirms that Pickett is in the NFL's concussion protocol, which makes the QB's status worth monitoring closely as next Sunday's game against the Panthers approaches. In Pickett's absence, Mitch Trubisky is now handling the Steelers' Week 14 signal-caller duties.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Shows more efficiency
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Pickett completed 16 of 28 passes for 197 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 19-16 win over the Falcons.
Pickett wasn't asked to do much in the win, as the Steelers ran the ball 37 times as opposed to his 28 pass attempts. As has been the case for the last few weeks, Pickett showed flashes of competency with long completions of 57, 20 and 17 yards -- the final of which was his lone touchdown of the game. Those gains also helped Pickett average 7.0 yards per attempt, the first full game in which he's broken that threshold. Despite those positives, Pickett has thrown for under 200 yards in four of his last five games and has yet to throw for multiple scores in a contest.
Over the past month, Pickett has taken a step forward, but so far it's only shown up in the yardage totals. He's averaged 11.64 FPPG on yards alone, which means he's two touchdowns away from a must-start week. Unfortunately he's also had zero games with two touchdowns this season. If this level of play continues, I expect that to change sooner rather than later.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Modest numbers in win over Colts
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Pickett completed 20 of 28 passes for 174 yards without a touchdown or turnover in Monday's 24-17 win over the Colts. He also threw a two-point conversion and rushed six times for 32 yards.
Pickett had George Pickens open in the end zone on third down with the Steelers looking to take a 20-3 lead late in the first half, but the rookie quarterback overthrew the rookie wide receiver, who almost made a spectacular one-handed grab to bail Pickett out. That miscue aside, Pickett looked composed and in command as the Steelers took a 16-3 halftime lead. He went quiet in the third quarter but heated up in the fourth after Pittsburgh fell behind 17-16, leading a game-winning drive that featured a two-yard Benny Snell touchdown run followed by a Pickett-to-Pickens two-point conversion. Pittsburgh's defense held for the final 9:55 to hand Pickett his third win in seven starts. He'll have a decent shot at win No. 4 against Atlanta on the road in Week 13.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Sleeper QBs
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I like Pickett as a low-end starter in all leagues for Monday's game at Indianapolis. He has looked better in two games after Pittsburgh's bye in Week 9, scoring 18 Fantasy points against New Orleans in Week 10 and 17 points against Cincinnati in Week 11. The Colts have allowed three of their past four opposing quarterbacks to score at least 21 Fantasy points, and they have struggled with rushing quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence, Taylor Heinicke and Jalen Hurts have all scored at least eight Fantasy points on the ground against Indianapolis since Week 6, and Pickett has run for at least 37 yards in two of his past three games. He's a sneaky sleeper in deeper leagues for Week 12.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Week 12 Waiver Priority List
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Pickett has looked better in two games after Pittsburgh's bye in Week 9, scoring 18 Fantasy points against New Orleans in Week 10 and 17 points against Cincinnati in Week 11. He's just missing a second touchdown, and maybe that will come in Week 12 at Indianapolis on Monday night. The Colts have allowed three of their past four opposing quarterbacks to score at least 21 Fantasy points, and they have struggled with rushing quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence, Taylor Heinicke and Jalen Hurts have all scored at least eight Fantasy points on the ground against Indianapolis since Week 6, and Pickett has run for at least 37 yards in two of his past three games. He's a sneaky sleeper in deeper leagues for Week 12 and is worth up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: One To Stash (QB Preview)
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Even if you don't like Pickett this week, he's at Atlanta next week. In a dome against that defense may make him a borderline top-12 option.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Connects with Pickens in loss
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Pickett completed 25 of 42 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 37-30 loss to the Bengals. He added two rushing attempts for 14 yards.
Pickett found George Pickens for a 24-yard touchdown to tie the score at 17 in the second quarter. The pair of rookies have shown good chemistry from the get-go, so Pickett-to-Pickens could be a common phrase around Pittsburgh for years to come if the rookie quarterback proves capable of holding down the starting job. Two of Pickett's three career touchdown passes have been thrown to Pickens, but those three touchdowns have been accompanied by eight interceptions, as Pickett's still learning how to limit turnovers heading into a Week 12 primetime game in Indianapolis on MNF.
It is a bad week for quarterback, and there aren't any streamers I would start over someone you've been trusting. There aren't even any streamers I would start over Russell Wilson. But if you need a bye-week replacement, Pickett has been running more lately and produced 19 Fantasy points with just one total touchdown in Week 10. There's a good chance we get more pass attempts with him chasing the score against the Bengals.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Throws for 199 yards in win
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Pickett completed 18 of 30 pass attempts for 199 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions while rushing eight times for 51 yards and a touchdown during the Steelers' 20-10 win over the Saints on Sunday.
Pickett was somewhat inefficient through the air during Sunday's matchup, but he propped up his fantasy production with a career-high 51 rushing yards while also reaching the end zone on the ground. The rookie first-rounder has now topped 1,000 passing yards to begin his professional career, as he's completed 66.7 percent of his pass attempts for 1,161 yards, two touchdowns and eight interceptions over his first six games with the Steelers.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Can't get going against Eagles
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Pickett completed 25 of 38 passes for 191 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 35-13 loss to the Eagles.
Pickett turned in another performance filled with mistakes and inefficiency. He averaged just 5.0 yards per attempt and has yet to surpass a mark of 6.3 in any of the four games he's started this season. Pickett also threw his eighth interception of the season late in the fourth quarter with the game well out of reach. Volume may be the one positive to take away from Pickett's performance, as he has now thrown 52, 44 and 38 passes in his three full games this season. However, for that to matter, he'll need to greatly improve his decision-making and ability to connect down the field with his receivers.
