The final score was tough to look at. 38-3. The Steelers’ worst loss since 1989.
But, along the way, Pittsburgh’s players began to realize that they might have something special at the quarterback position.
In a nutshell, the Steelers started to see why Kenny Pickett was drafted in the first round and named a starter for what ended up as a blowout loss in Buffalo.
“I feel like Kenny played his behind off,” said wide receiver Diontae Johnson. “I was talking to him the whole game, making sure he was locked in. Even if he threw a pick, I'm still talking to him, trying to keep his head in the game because he's going to make those mistakes. It’s our job to help him bounce back from those.”
Pickett passed for 327 yards and ran for ten more. He was intercepted once, but also managed to move the ball periodically throughout the game.
“I thought we did well at certain times,” Center Mason Cole said. “Just efficiency in the red zone. You get stuck when you’re behind throwing the ball around, trying to play catch up with it. But I do think there was some bright spots.
“Kenny was really good especially in that environment. I loved his competitiveness. There was never a second where he wasn't in the game. He was in the game trying to score points the whole time. I love seeing that of a young guy, not letting the moment get away from him. So I appreciate Kenny for that. And his confidence and leadership in the huddle was on par.”
Pickett, on two occasions, got into altercations with Bills players. Once on a low ht by Shaw Lawson, and another on what appeared to be a late hit by former Pitt teammate Damar Hamlin as he slid towards the line to gain.
On the Hamlin hit, the respect that Pickett has earned from his team was evident, as guard James Daniels stepped in to defend Pickett by pushing Hamlin to the ground.
“I thought he did a really good job of just sticking together and getting us motivated, because that's tough to lose like that, to be down like that on the road,” Daniels said. “And I did a really good job of taking control of the offense and doing a good job with the operation.”
Mike Tomlin will likely be asked Tuesday if Pickett will again start this coming week, when the Steelers meet Tom Brady and the Bucs.
But, from the sounds of the players who spoke Monday, the expectation appears clear. Pickett is the guy going forward and, while there may be some lumps taken, the Steelers are ready to battle with him.
“Yeah, Kenny is young, but the guys want to play for him,” Cole said. “When he’s in the huddle I think everyone's doing everything they can to help Kenny. Whether it be running the right routes or the right blocking assignments, finishing plays, everyone's trying to do everything they can because we believe in Kenny. We trust in Kenny. And we're going to keep doing that.”