JJ Watt on Kenny Pickett, Steelers' performance through nine games: 'How mad can you be?'

Despite some inconsistent play from quarterback Kenny Pickett and being outgained in every game this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at 6-3 and occupying a playoff spot in the AFC.

How sustainable is that? Well, that’s to be determined in the coming weeks. But for now, how critical can you be of Pittsburgh when they continue to rack of results in the wins column, former NFL defensive end JJ Watt said on “The Pat McAfee Show” Wednesday.

"Kenny Pickett hasn't turned the ball over in five games..

It's not pretty but they're 6-3" ~ @JJWatt#PMSLive #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/JGtL47DC8v

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 15, 2023

“But they’re winning games,” Watt said. “So you can’t say too much. They’re 6-3. How mad can you be?”

Watt added: “They’re getting them to the fourth quarter and they’re finding a way to win in the fourth quarter.”

Watt’s comments were directed at the criticism of the play of Pickett, the 2022 first-round pick out of Pitt. Pickett spearheads the league’s 28th ranked offense, which is averaging just 17.3 points per game this season. Though the Steelers escaped with a 23-19 victory over the Green Bay Packers (3-6) in Week 10 this past Sunday, much has been made of the offense’s inability to move the ball through the air.

Pickett completed 14-of-23 passes for only 126 yards. He did not attempt nor complete a single pass in between the hashes, with the vast majority of throws going in the flat or near the sidelines. Again, that doesn’t sound like a sustainable model for success in the pass-happy NFL in the year 2023.

“It’s not pretty,” Watt said. “They’re not putting up these huge, massive numbers. They’re not throwing the ball over the middle at all. Literally not putting the ball over the middle in the field, which is wild. But they’re keeping everything safe.”

Mike Tomlin admits Steelers need more from Kenny Pickett

With the Steelers in a playoff push, head coach Mike Tomlin admitted this week the team is going to need more from Pickett.

“We’re gonna need more, particularly as this road narrows,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “But guys like Kenny and myself, we’re measured by wins and losses. He and I talk about that often and openly. We know what our jobs are. Our jobs are to win. And so that’s where we are, that’s where our focus is.”

Tomlin continued: “I love the fact that he embraces that. Down in and down out, are there some things to work on? Certainly. But it’s not like we’re going to start on Wednesday working on those things. We’ve been working on those things and we’ll continue until we get the desired result.”