https://youtu.be/r-t5Y3EZP3Y?si=WU5f1ivLbNnBLhwT
It’s definitely the worst part of his game. He’s been bailing on clean pockets since college. He’s gotta work on sliding in the pocket rather than just bailing on it. It’s teachable, thats the positive takeaway. One caveat that needs to be mentioned, which Alex kinda talks about, is that on most of these there is no one open downfield because of bad route design, good defense, whatever it may be. But if Kenny could find that extra second or two in the pocket, the receiver might find the soft spot in the coverage.
Overall this is something a lot of young, mobile QBs do. I think he’ll straighten it out. If Alex can point it out on film, our coaches are definitely aware of it and working on it.
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So many times in the last game where I thought he was getting antsy and bailing early. But to be fair, his offensive line hasn’t given him a ton of reason to have faith either
My sister has just started watching football this year. She asked me why Kenny acts scared when he goes back to pass and starts running out of the pocket-she said it a different way as she doesn’t know what a pocket is but I’m like damn if my sister who has watched two games can pick up on that then it’s a glaring issue. And it is.
I do think it’s coachable, it’s up to Kenny to apply the coaching
I’m far from an expert but isn’t this similar to how Roethlisberger was expected to stay in the pocket in the early years? Pickett plays better when he gets to the outside. The first two games he did not move nearly at all and he paid the price for it (both in hits and in poor throwing).
Yes he needs to be better. The difference is our online is inconsistent. So Kenny doesn’t know if this is a play they f’d up for the 29th time or will they hold their blocks 10 times a game.
The more the online holds up the more comfortable he will be hanging in there. I mean even his big throws Kenny takes massive shots.
Also the play I keep seeing where he slides towards Crosby. Moore is literally standing where Kenny took the snap. Our guys get pushed back a lot. So even if the block is “holding” having massive dudes in your lap can affect throws. He shouldn’t be taking a 5 step drop out of shotgun lol
I’ve noticed the pocket collapses straight from the center more than anywhere else, Kenny can’t step up into the pocket most times and when it’s there he’s not expecting it
On a couple of the plays Alex highlighted, Kenny had an open receiver: AR over the middle on one and another receiver (don’t know who) along the sideline to his left on another. But in the other examples no one is open. I’m wondering if some of the time Kenny is bailing on the pocket to get outside in order to help a receiver on a sideline route who isn’t especially open.
If those are the egregious examples, thats’s not that bad. Going through the 4 plays:
1). While the 3 blocks on the left side keep their guy in front, LT, LG, and C are all pushed back pretty deep. Because of where the LT ends up, Kenny needs to slide right and forward, but only has room to go right because C and LG are pushed so deep, so he runs right into Crosby. If he stays where he is, those 3 OL are pushed right into his lap.
2). I think Kenny saw blitz in the pre-snap and didn’t have the hot read when they dropped to coverage. He panics and misses Robinson over the middle, though if Kenny hadn’t led #5 for the Raiders right by trying to bail, I’m not sure Robinson ends up as open as he was on the film. Also, LT did get beat here. Kenny probably has time to get the throw off to Robinson but also probably gets hit.
3). Similar to example 2, but less panicky. Sees blitz but everyone drops into coverage. I think he actually looks at a few receivers here but nothing is open. He might’ve had Muth open if he timed the throw for the curl route, but there was coverage sitting right on top of it. Also, LT is beat even with the chip help from Warren.
4). If you watch Kenny’s eyes here, it sure seems like he gets through his reads and doesn’t see anything. It sure doesn’t look like there’s even anything potentially developing either. Scrambling up through the pocket may have been the better choice than around the outside here, but it seems like it was reasonable for Kenny to recognize the play was going nowhere and just try to avoid a sack.
Yeah it seems the times Kenny does climb the pocket and make the throw, he is getting crushed. So, I understand the happy feet and why he is bailing early. There were also times when Kenny wouldn’t pull the trigger on what the defense was giving him and he would try to create bigger plays downfield by escaping the pocket. So, there are definitely some things to continue to work on by the QB and the O-Line. No doubt it will improve.
For now, I would hope that we would see more plays that get Kenny on the move and cut the field in half.
I think the obvious answer is to adopt the 80s Warren Moon Run and Shoot offense.
KP throws a great ball on the run. /s
Have to have a pocket to then have presence. Pickett has happy feet because of the terrible pass protection. Most times when he actually gets the pass off he is getting destroyed right at release.
This kinda the cart before the horse situation. Line needs to play well to even start criticizing his pocket presence. IMO