“Chess, not checkers” for Pickett’s face-to-face eagles, Tomlin says | So Good News

Kenny Pickett is coming off a rough game last Sunday night against the Miami Dolphins. The 2022 first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers had three interceptions and just one touchdown, with two picks coming late in the game as he tried to lead the Steelers on a game-winning drive.

Pickett will try to match up with two top cornerbacks this week against the Philadelphia Eagles. Darius Slay and James Bradberry both bring big-play ability and veteran leadership that will make them tough to beat. Slay and Bradberry also have more passes defended (seven and nine) than the Pittsburgh Steelers. They will make it very difficult for Kenny Pickett to complete passes tomorrow afternoon.

Today is, The Mike Tomlin ShowSteelers head coach Mike Tomlin discussed how Pickett can handle the challenges that Slay and Bradberry bring to the table.

“From a strategic point of view, this will be chess, not checkers. But we can help him in many ways, how we deploy circuits and work to minimize them [Eagles secondary] Some related matchmaking experience.

While soccer is a very talented and violent game, it is the sport in North America’s Big Four where coaching is paramount. For example, two weeks ago the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had more talent on the football field than the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Mike Tomlin coached Todd Bowles, who played a big role in the Steelers’ win over the Bucks.

This week, after Pickett’s rough outing, Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Matt Canada will have to put Kenny Pickett in positions to succeed against the Eagles’ secondary.

But it’s not all about the coaching staff. Pickett will have to be careful with the football or the Eagles’ offense will suffer. On the season, Philadelphia will look to add more against a quarterback who already has nine interceptions and has thrown seven.

Kenny Pickett is a naturally aggressive quarterback, but he also has to be smart. His two interceptions late in the Miami game were due to poor decision-making. Pickett is a rookie and growing pains are to be expected, but it’s important to see Kenny learn from Pickett’s mistakes. He cannot make the same mistakes over and over again.

Pickett has the talent to succeed at this level, but now he needs to be a little smarter and the coaching staff needs to put him in positions to succeed. These two things will definitely be tested tomorrow.