The Baby Is Growing Before Our Eyes Another winning

“The Baby Is Growing Before Our Eyes” – Another winning streak led by Steelers QB Kenny Pickett – TribLIVE

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BALTIMORE – The decision makers among the heads of the Pittsburgh Steelers? They had believed long ago that Kenny Pickett had what it took to lead a team to success when the game was at stake.

Pickett’s teammates on the Steelers offense? If they didn’t believe in it before, they certainly started buying into it on Christmas Eve when Pickett directed a 76-yard touchdown drive to beat the Las Vegas Raiders and keep the Steelers’ playoff hopes alive.

But perhaps Pickett’s greatest compliment comes not from his coaches or those who are with him — but from those on the Steelers’ defense.

Read what the Steelers’ defensive co-captains had to say after their team’s 16-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.

“The child is growing before our eyes,” said Steelers’ longest-serving player, defenseman Cameron Heyward. “He makes good throws and leads us down. It’s really great to be (24) years old and quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. You have to love the way he leads this offense. And it keeps growing week after week.”

This week — the penultimate weekend of the NFL regular season — Pickett orchestrated an 11-play 80-yard drive that started with 4 minutes and 16 seconds left in regulation and a 10-yard touchdown pass to Najee Harris finished with 56 seconds left.

During the go-ahead drive, Pickett was 5 for 6 for 64 yards with the touchdown pass, in addition to two sneaks scoring first downs on third-and-1 games.

“We do so many two-minute drives in practice and you see the guts in our quarterback,” said outside linebacker TJ Watt, the NFL’s reigning defensive player of the year. “We’ve seen our boys go into training all season.

“We weren’t surprised.”

If anyone was surprised, they weren’t watching eight days earlier as Pickett rushed 75 yards 7 for 9 and made the touchdown (plus a successful QB sneak on a fourth and 1) against the Raiders in almost exactly the same scenario faced: four points behind, a loss that eliminates the Steelers and (on that day) 2 minutes and 55 seconds left.

This was Pickett’s 10th NFL start and 11th game, and it became his second fourth-quarter winning streak. On Sunday in Baltimore, Pickett recorded his third such win with his 11th start and sixth win as a competitor.

“I can’t say enough about our young QB,” said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. ‘ He smiled at that. He’s always willing to be that guy in the moments we need him. And it’s just good to see the young man.”

Pickett continued the trend of being solid and at his best in the key moments to beat what had been a mediocre overall effort up to that point.

Just like with the Raiders, Pickett and the Steelers didn’t score a touchdown until the last minute. And just like the previous game, Pickett’s stat line was… stunning… through 55 minutes Sunday. His passer rating was 62.4 after completing just 10 of his first 21 passes for 104 yards and no touchdowns.

But on the road to victory? This rating was 111.1.

“I think it’s just the confidence I’ve had in myself coming out on the field, and I think the guys are starting to feel that, which is always good,” Pickett said. “When you go into the huddle and see how confident everyone is as a quarterback, you know they have a lot of faith in you, and I have a lot of faith in those guys in the huddle. So if that’s there, you definitely have a chance.”

Related:

• The Steelers’ playoff hopes are alive after dramatic defeat of the Ravens
• The Steelers’ path to the playoffs is now clear: beat Browns, have Patriots, lose Dolphins
• Heroics: Najee Harris’ heroics, another late Kenny Pickett TD effort, “propel” the Steelers to victory in Baltimore
• First Call: Update on Miami QBs; Checking Deshaun Watson’s Progress Ahead of Steelers Game; Winter Classic Preview

Just like against the Raiders, the chunk plays that brought the Steelers down on their final drive came on passes down the middle: 20 yards to tight end Pat Freiermuth and 28 yards to a Steven Sims catch. and run.

The 80 yards covered required three third-down conversions: Pickett’s two sneaks and the touchdown, which he floated right past the left pylon to Harris. It came after Pickett was forced to scramble to the left to avoid pressure from Jason Pierre-Paul and let go of his pass as Patrick Queen approached a sack.

“It became a scramble drill,” Harris said, “and I’m just climbing, like in practice, and I was open and Kenny threw a good ball.”

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Pickett was running 13.11 mph when he released the ball, his first NFL touchdown pass while on the run.

This led to him becoming only the third rookie quarterback to ever win with the Ravens and also becoming the first rookie in NFL history to have a TD pass in the last minute of consecutive games.

“I believe in him,” left guard Kevin Dotson said of Pickett. “I believe, man, I believe. I believed in him when he got here but things like that definitely build trust so I’m going with him.”

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Chris Adamski is a contributor to Tribune-Review. You can contact Chris via email at [email protected] or via Twitter .