Kenny Pickett Explains What Went Wrong On Incompletion To Diontae Johnson In Red Zone: ‘It Can’t Happen’
While it’s easy (and often accurate) for Pittsburgh Steelers fans to blame the team’s poor performance on offensive coordinator Matt Canada, the real truth is that there is a huge problem with execution.
Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars really stood out.
That’s because there were a few games where the offense didn’t happen, but they should have had potential success.
A critical fumble occurred on 3rd-and-5 from the Jaguars’ 6-yard line in the second quarter.
The Steelers no longer had a 2×3 look with WR Diontae Johnson behind TE Connor Hayward. The latter was successful with a pick that left Johnson wide open inside, but when QB Kenny Pickett looked at the receiver and released the ball, he carried the ball behind the play and Johnson continued the route.
“The safety has moved to Dionta and I want to move him to right in my eyes,” Pickett explained to reporters on the club’s website yesterday.
“I thought Dionte was going to settle down. He knew he had to get over it.
“It’s a wrong relationship, but it shouldn’t be.”
As depressing as it sounds, this is a simple explanation of what we see.
Not just the football, but the wet conditions in the stadium made the problem worse. Johnson had a chance to make a play on a pass that was thrown behind him and lost his balance while trying to get a foot on the ball.
Should Johnson have stopped short and settled into his weak spot when the zone was open?
Should Pickett have looked in Johnson’s direction earlier, or should he have expected Johnson to continue working to the left?
The answer is simple.
They needed to be on the same page about how to play in this situation.
Both solutions are correct, but only if both solutions are run simultaneously.
Regardless of whether it stops or continues its route, if the ball touches the receiver, it is still a touchdown.
It’s a mutual, collaborative effort where the quarterback understands what the receiver likes and the receiver understands what the quarterback wants.
This should be known.
It happens sometimes, but as Pickett himself said, it’s not impossible.
The layup at the time would have put the Steelers ahead. Failing to reach the end zone upset the entire team.
Especially considering he could have won.
You must correct this before re-entering the field.
