Madden Monday: Steelers 'don't do anything well'; Kenny Pickett needs to 'shut up' when it comes to team criticism

If you are looking for positives when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ latest loss in Philadelphia, look elsewhere.

Mark Madden of TribLIVE and 105.9 The X has none. And that includes the performance of rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett.

“Pickett was awful. The Steelers aren’t improving in any part of their game. They don’t do anything well. There is nothing they can hang their hat on,” Madden said during this week’s Madden Monday podcast.

Despite throwing 38 times, Pickett totaled just 191 yards through the air. He was also sacked six times and intercepted once. That led to a meager quarterback rating of 66.9.

Despite those numbers, Pickett felt plenty comfortable being critical of how the team as a whole has been handling itself in terms of focus, week-long preparation and study habits.

“I’m sure Pickett is right,” Madden said. “But if I was on the offensive side of the ball, I’d go, ‘Hey kid, you’ve got two touchdowns, eight interceptions. Shut the (heck) up.’ You can’t preach when you are a rookie not succeeding or not making progress yourself. Nobody wants to hear that.”

More from Tim Benz:

• Airing of Grievances: Steelers standards sink so far that blowout in Philadelphia seems expected
• First Call: Bill Cowher questions Steelers' use of Kenny Pickett; Najee Harris says, 'I can’t make a hole. I can't do everything'

As far as the Steelers’ approach to offense, Madden is displeased.

“It shows how antiquated their approach to football is. The Steelers had the ball (for) 34 minutes. They had, by far, the advantage in time of possession. But in today’s NFL that just doesn’t matter at all, it’s about quick strike capabilities. The Eagles have it. The Steelers do not,” Madden said.

On that front, Pickett seemed to agree.

“When you’re on the field for fourteen plays, you’re leaving yourself open to make mistakes physically, mentally. Some things happen like that, so we need more explosive plays,” Pickett said after the loss. “We had opportunities (Sunday) and didn’t connect. Penalties again hurt us. When you’re running 14 plays, 16 plays, something is going to happen sooner or later. Guys get tired up front. It causes problems. It’s a dual-edged sword. It’s good to stay on the field and control the football and chew some clock up. We have to finish with points. If we’re not getting points, it’s really not doing us any good.”

Also in the podcast, Madden and I talk about the parity in the NFL, the Steelers’ defensive struggles, tough times for the Penguins and Pitt’s loss over the weekend.

Listen: Tim Benz and Mark Madden discuss Steelers’ loss to Eagles