QB Kenny Pickett on ‘go’ as Steelers work toward preseason opener against Tampa Bay
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Kenny Pickett doesn’t know how long he will be on the field Friday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers open the preseason at Tampa Bay.
The only thing for certain is he won’t be throwing passes in the final seconds of the game, which happened last year when he zipped a late game-winning touchdown strike to help the Steelers defeat the Seattle Seahawks.
Pickett, of course, was third string a year ago, which is why he played the entire second half against Seattle. This year, as the first-team quarterback, Pickett likely won’t last past the first quarter against Tampa Bay.
“I’m on go,” Pickett said Tuesday after the Steelers held their penultimate practice ahead of the preseason opener. “I’ll be in there for however long they want me to be. When they pull me out, they’ll pull me out. I’m excited to play.”
Speaking after the Steelers concluded a two-hour practice in pads by working on their goal line offense for the first time in training camp, Pickett is eager to see how the offense looks in an actual game setting.
“We’re making good strides,” he said. “We picked up where we left off in the spring. Guys are competing really hard, so you love to be in that type of environment.”
A difference Pickett noticed in the first two weeks of training camp is a more diverse offense, one that is taking more risks than the conservative approach that prevailed last season.
“We’re definitely taking more shots down the field,” Pickett said. “I think everyone here has seen that. We’re more consistent in the red zone. It’s been great to see how competitive we’ve been in seven shots and win some of the drills. Our defense is top notch, so whenever you’re having a little bit of success versus them, it makes you think you’ll fare all right during the season.”