Raiders Opponent QB Spotlight: Kenny Pickett

When the Las Vegas Raiders face the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Sunday, they will face off against Kenny Pickett for the second year in a row.

The Las Vegas Raiders will have their first home game on Sunday as they welcome in the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Raiders went on the road last season in Week 16 to play the Steelers and dropped that game, 13-10. They will be looking to get revenge this time around at Allegiant Stadium.

The Raiders will face second-year starting quarterback Kenny Pickett, who led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter of last season’s game. He finished the game by completing 26-of-39 passes for 244 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Pickett was selected No. 20 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft after an excellent career at Pittsburgh, where he passed for more than 12,000 yards and 81 touchdowns.

Now in his second season with full control of the offense, Pickett is looking to improve on his game and take the Steelers back to the postseason. Even after winning the last four games of last season and finishing with a winning record, the Steelers still missed the playoffs.

Pickett played in 13 games as a rookie in 2022, completing nearly 63 percent of his passes for 2,404 yards for seven touchdowns, with nine interceptions. While it is not ideal that he threw for more interceptions than touchdowns, Pickett showed flashes on tape as a rookie that he can be a quality starter in the NFL.

During his final five games of the season, Pickett started to show improvement. He completed 59 percent of his passes for 978 yards, four touchdowns and only one interception.

Pickett has solid arm strength and good arm talent, meaning he can make all different throws from different angles, and he can read the field to make the right throws, as well. While he did turn the ball over a lot as a rookie, it showed his willingness to take risks and push the ball down the field.

Pickett also is mobile, rushing for 237 yards and three touchdowns last season. While it is not a massive element of his game, he is still capable of running when he needs to.

The Raiders will have to get pressure on Pickett and force him to make more mistakes if they want to beat the Steelers at home, because he is prone to turnovers if rushed.

If the Raiders want to win their first home game of the season, it starts with disrupting Pickett’s rhythm, because he will get into a groove and connect with his receivers if they don’t, which could result in a long day.

The Silver and Black return home to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 8:20 p.m. EDT/5:20 p.m. PDT.

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