The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 16-10 on the road in Week 12 in the first game of the post-Matt Canada era. The Steelers recorded more than 400 yards of total offense, something that they hadn’t done since the 2020 season. 

Kenny Pickett also had one of the best games of his career, throwing for 278 yards and making a number of high-quality throws in critical spots. He threw for more than 150 yards on third down. While he didn’t have any touchdowns, he deserved one that should have been ruled a TD, and he also didn’t turn the ball over at all.

With that said, let's break down Pickett's performance against the Bengals and figure out where he showed improvement and how he can continue to grow.

Pickett utilized the middle of the field

This week, the Steelers finally began to use the middle of the field, and it immediately paid dividends.

On the very first play of the game in the post-Matt Canada era, the Steelers dialed up a play to throw Pat Freiermuth open on a seam route down the middle. The big tight end beat his primary defender and stacked him, creating an opening in the defense. Pickett quickly fired a strike on time and on target that allowed Freiermuth to secure the catch and brace for a collision with the safety.

He had confidence taking shots down the field

Against Cincinnati, Pickett had at least five plays where he threw the ball well beyond the first down marker with confidence. This included a pair of deep shots to George Pickens and Diontae Johnson on fade routes, two deep seam throws to Freiermuth, and, in what was arguably his most impressive throw of the afternoon, a frozen rope to Johnson between two defenders that was ruled incomplete.

If Mike Tomlin had challenged the call, it likely would have been a 20-plus yard touchdown reception for Johnson. That would have likely put the Steelers over 20 points for the game, and give Pickett 300-plus passing yards on the day along with a touchdown.

Pickett established a rapport with Pat Freiermuth

Yes, Freiermuth has missed extensive time this season. However, coming into this game he had only 60 receiving yards all year. That is simply unacceptable. A tight end has to be a weapon for a modern offense to succeed, and as a big-bodied receiver who can box out defenders and secure passes over the middle, a tight end is a young quarterback’s best friend.

On Sunday against the Bengals, Pickett targeted Freiermuth early and often, and he continued to find his big tight end consistently in key moments. Early in the game, Pickett found Freiermuth deep down the middle of the field, once to set the tone on the first play and again to convert a third and long.

It was good to see the Steelers take a chance on third down, rather than just running or throwing a checkdown for a few yards and then punting it away.

He made smart decisions and protected the football

One play stands out in particular: Pickett was rolling out to his left and saw Jaylen Warren covered in the flat. Although Warren wasn’t open, Pickett saw that he was being held beyond five yards from the line of scrimmage. Rather than just throwing the ball far out of bounds, Pickett threw it at Warren’s feet.

While it didn’t lead to a reception, this drew the ref’s attention to Warren and the defender, and ended up drawing a flag for pass interference.

Pickett's decision-making was aggressive but calculated

Pickett was clearly more aggressive in this game, and he made a number of high-level NFL throws. This included threading the ball between multiple defenders on numerous occasions, and keeping the ball safe on deep shots by pitting it where only his receiver would have a chance to make a play on the ball.

Pickett’s calling card to this point in his career, for better or for worse, has been limiting interceptions and protecting the football. In the past, however, this has been achieved by playing it safe, arguably too safe, and sacrificing aggression and attempts to make plays downfield.

Against Cincinnati, Pickett let it rip and was able to turbocharge the offense by taking risks and making plays, but he never crossed the line into recklessness. As a result, positive things happened in the passing game without giving the ball away to the opponent.

He still missed a few easy throws

Despite the major improvements Pickett showed against Cincinnati, there are still areas where he can improve. One specific throw fans will remember was an in-breaking route to Pickens where Pickett had a clean pocket, little to no pressure, and just missed the throw, leaving it too high for Pickens to grab.

That was a missed opportunity, and ironically, it was one of the easier throws of the afternoon, and Pickett was able to complete several throws that were much more difficult. If he can improve his consistency and make these easy plays when they are available, the offense will be even more dangerous and Pickett’s stat lines will continue to improve. It is possible that play could have gone for a touchdown, if nothing else it would have added at least another 15-20 yards to his passing total.

Pickett needs to work on avoiding pressure better

One area where Pickett still has plenty of room to improve is avoiding pressure. Pickett has a habit of trying a spin move to his left, and while this can work sometimes, it doesn’t appear he is quite athletic enough to make this his go-to move. 

It also appears that defenders are aware this is his preference, as they often anticipate this move and he ends up running right into a sack. If Pickett can convert the routine plays and improve his maneuverability within the pocket, he can continue to build on this performance.