Kenny Pickett ended the Pittsburgh Steelers' first drive of the preseason opener by connecting with George Pickens for a 33-yard touchdown pass. It was a perfect pass from Pickett, who fired a bullet 20 yards in the air, hitting George Pickens in stride. The Steelers receiver broke one tackle and shook off another defender, taking it 21 yards to the end zone.

The Steelers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-17 in Friday's Week 1 preseason. Pickens didn't seem at all surprised that Pickett played so well.

“That's what he's been doing,” Pickens said of Pickett's touchdown pass, via Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.

Pickett was nearly perfect against the Buccaneers. He completed six of his seven passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback's 147.9 passer rating came against a defense largely comprised of backups.

Pickett showed flashes down the stretch of his rookie campaign that he can be the quarterback that Pittsburgh hopes it drafted. He won his last five starts that he didn't leave early with an injury. Pickett had four touchdown passes and one interception during that span.

The Steelers' defense gets much of the credit for those victories, though Pickett did lead game-winning touchdown drives. If Pickens meets expectations, he can certainly help the second-year signal caller develop into a better player. Pickens can make catches that few receivers around the league are able to complete.

If the Steelers are able to see a similar Pickett-Pickens connection on a regular basis in the 2023 season, they have a chance to compete for the AFC North title.