Steelers QB Camp Notebook: Pickett Takes Over Mason Rudolph's Reps

LATROBE -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are investing more reps into rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, who ended his first professional game by completing a last-second, game-winning touchdown in Saturday's 32-25 win over the Seattle Seahawks in the preseason. 

Nearly even competition during seven shots gave way to 11-on-11 and seven-on-seven drills. Then Pickett and starter, Mitch Trubisky, both concluded practice by running a two-minute drill against a full defense. Mason Rudolph took a backseat to Pickett, who boasted a nearly perfect daily completion percentage to start the week.

Statbook 

Mitch Trubisky: 5/9, 1 touchdown

Trubisky's Steelers debut was stellar. He was efficient moving the ball down the field with an undermanned offense surrounding him and pressure constantly in his face. That is the kind of performance Mike Tomlin said he will weigh more heavily in his evaluation. 

That said, Trubisky's first practice of the week was a mixed bag. With him under center, the first-team offense was held out of the endzone on three of four attempts during seven shots. He missed Zach Gentry in the endzone while throwing from a collapsing pocket in his second rep, hooked up with Diontae Johnson on an out route for a quick touchdown on the ensuing play and concluded the drill by taking a would-be sack from Minkah Fitzpatrick. 

His unit struggled from short range during the two-minute drill as well, which will be detailed more thoroughly later. 

Mason Rudolph: 5/7, 1 touchdown

Rudolph's reps continue to wane as Pickett continues to string together productive preseason days. He took just one snap during seven shots, threw the fewest passes of any quarterback who played in full-team drills and didn't get a chance to run the offense in a two-minute drill.

Both of Rudolph's highlights from Monday came in conjunction with Cody White. With his lone seven shots snap, Rudolph found White on a slant right on the cusp of the goal line. Without any referees there to make a definitive call, whether it was a touchdown or not remains an open question.

During 11-on-11 work, he lofted a perfectly-placed completion over White's shoulder that likely would have gone for a long catch-and-mostly-run touchdown, depending upon the speed and will of a pursuing defensive back, if the play was live. 

Kenny Pickett: 10/11, 1 touchdown and 1 interception

Pickett didn't wow anyone with the degree of difficulty on his throws, but he was as on-time and accurate as the numbers indicate. His job was simple - read the defense and throw it where the defense isn't. He completed ten passes in a row during 11-on-11 action before faltering on the final play of practice, when he tossed an interception into the hands of Arthur Maulet during the final two-minute drill.  

Like Rudolph, Pickett's surrounding cast was rotating as reserves played with both quarterbacks. Pickett was, however, the only quarterback besides Trubisky to participate in the two-minute drill. 

Two-Minute Drill

Both the second and first team started in at the 38-yard line with 1:38 to score in the opposite endzone.

Trubisky, with a full complement of weapons at his disposal now that Najee Harris, Chase Claypool and Pat Freiermuth and Dionate Johnson all participated fully, marched to the other side efficiently. He struck quickly to Freiermuth, sandwiching a false start from Kendrick Green between 12 and 30-yard gains.

Then his unit began to stall inside opponent territory. Trubisky tossed three straight incompletions before returning to his safety blanket, Freiermuth for a ten-yard pick up. A ten-yard rush from Trubisky put his unit on the 13-yard line with 36 seconds left, but they moved just one more yard forward before the clock ran out. 

Pickett's turn in the two-minute ended without a score as well. He completed a couple of passes to Gunner Olszewski, who was running wide open all over the field all afternoon, for a total of 35 yards. 

He tried to find Olszewski for another long gain in the defense's territory but Maulet stepped in between to steal the ball and deliver Pickett his first incompletion of the day on the last play of practice. 

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