The Steelers starting offense has scored touchdowns on all three possessions it has played through the first two weeks of the preseason and those results have created optimism about what the unit will be able to do this season.
Any memories of that optimism will disappear quickly if the results in September aren’t equally impressive. On Monday, quarterback Kenny Pickett acknowledged “it’s been good” while adding that the unit isn’t getting complacent based on performances in games that don’t count in the standings.
“It is preseason, man,” Pickett said, via Mark Kaboly of TheAthletic.com. “Nothing counts, so it is kind of easy to remain motivated because we haven’t done anything yet. Everybody understands that.”
Pickett noted that the team has been using a “vanilla” scheme and one of the questions the Steelers will have to answer is if the explosiveness they’ve shown in cameo appearances translates to sustained success in the regular season. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson believes it will and September 10 against the 49ers will be the first real test of that point of view.