Steelers 24, Colts 17
Q. (Indiscernible.) Is that something you just had the maturation now or would you have done that...
KENNY PICKETT: Yeah, Coach T puts a lot of confidence in myself, just asks me what I like, what I don't like. I feel like that play, just watching from tape, you know, all week, simple play, but something I felt like other teams we weren't doing that I think if we gave it a shot I think we would've been successful.
We were in four down territory. Yeah, so we were going to go for it again on the next play if we didn't get it. I felt confident real confident with that play and real happy we got to the end zone.
Q. What's the process?
KENNY PICKETT: Oh, we have great open communication. You know, I'll go up to Coach Sully and Coach Tomlin and we had a conversation and that was the play I brought up. I felt really confident about it. They felt good about it too, so we rolled with it.
Q. What's the conversation that you guys are having among yourself on the offense between the third and fourth quarter when you know you're coming out and got a third down, third quarter didn't go the way you wanted it to? Just what are you guys talking about on the sideline?
KENNY PICKETT: Yeah, just get that first first down and we feel like we move the ball really well. I think we had the two three and outs, you know, slow start, just based off execution alone, nothing schematically, nothing Xs and Os, just flat out us executing. I got to make throws. We got to make plays. We would've been on the move just like we were in the first half.
That's something we definitely need to clean up, but really happy with the guys, how we responded, how we were on third down in that fourth quarter I think really helped us come away with the win.
Q. What does it do for you personally to have not only your first road win, but your first fourth quarter comeback? You guys were 0-6 when you were trailing going into the fourth quarter before tonight.
KENNY PICKETT: Yeah, there is a lot of positives to take from it. It's really hard to win in this league. Right now we're a four-win team right now. We have to own that and chip away and get back to winning, and this definitely was a start.
So there are things we got to build from off this game and take a lot of positive from it. Obviously there are things we will check the tape and we got a quick turnaround to get back on Sunday and go to Atlanta. There are things we got to clean-up and get right in order to take care of business on Sunday.
Q. (Regarding George Pickens.)
KENNY PICKETT: The window, I mean, when the defenders' back is to you, you can kind of place the ball where you want. It's George that has to make the play. I was happy. He kind of jabbed inside, went out, so low and away is usually the safe bet to give him the best chance to make a play.
He went down and made a hell of a play. I was talking to him all game just keeping his head in it. He's an unbelievable player. There will be ups and downs in this thing, but if we stick with it, I think we'll be all right at the end of the day.
Q. What does it say about your chemistry and your relationship with George that you guys were able to execute that scramble drill on the two point conversion?
KENNY PICKETT: Yeah, it takes time. It takes repetitions, and Coach Tomlin does a great job putting us in those situations, seven-shot plays all training camp, all spring. You know, even during the season we have that period once a week.
So it's great to have those opportunities to see them play out in game situations. No one blinks when we get down there. We're real confident in all the stuff that we have because we repped it so many times, working that scramble drill, and just being able to extend and George doing a great job of coming back to the football and making a play was huge for us.
Q. When Mike was out here just a few minutes ago he said he feels like the team is good enough and you're good enough to continue winning while you develop. Two wins in the last three weeks. What's going on the last month that you guys feel you can build on?
KENNY PICKETT: I think it's just chemistry playing together. We're all believing in what we're doing and showing up every day to work, and every guy in that locker room wants to win, and we're doing everything it takes to go out there and win and leaving it all out there. I think if you have that, you got a shot.
So that's a good starting point. There is a lot of things to clean up, but if we continue to build on the positives and clean up the negatives, I think we'll continue to trend in this direction.
Q. (Indiscernible.)
KENNY PICKETT: Yeah, listen, it's the National Football League. It's a tough deal when you can't get things going. Just takes that one play to spring us, and that's what happened this game. I'm glad we were able to turn it around. No one had any doubts, any second thoughts going out there in that fourth quarter that we were going to win the game.
I think that's huge, seeing the confidence in everybody in the huddle, that we had no doubt we were going to come away with the win.
It was great to see that.
Q. Is there a general greater comfort level for you at this point, just speaking for you?
KENNY PICKETT: Yeah, I think every week you play in a system, you play with guys, you're going to get more and more comfortable. I think football and playing the quarterback position, it takes a lot of time. It takes continuity with guys continuing to improve, and I think we're seeing that on tape. We're seeing that week in, week out.
We're pushing to make the big jumps and everyone wants to make the big jumps. Sometimes you just got to take the positives and continue to grow, and sooner or later you'll see that big leap you made as a group. It's special when that all comes together, so that's what we're working towards.
Q. On a night like tonight, offensive line when you're still able to run the ball like you were...
KENNY PICKETT: Listen, we lean on those guys. We go the way those guys go. Our backs did a phenomenal job, the tight ends in the run game. There is a lot that goes into it, but that group we have up front, man, we're pretty tight. They're real tight together. They have great continuity.
You know, it's great to see from early in the season what people were saying to now and how great those guys are playing. You know, incredibly proud to be their quarterback and play with them.
Q. What was your comfort level playing in Lucas Oil? We talked to you about the combine. Did you end up thinking about it at all, you know, any familiarity?
KENNY PICKETT: Yeah, like I told you earlier, it was quick. You walk out and you remember all the drills you went through throwing out there for the combine, and you snap back into trying to go win a football game.
But I felt comfortable on the road here and working the silent count and having great communication with the guys, so I think my previous experience has only the helped this game, and that's what I really want to continue to do. Just have those prior experiences, improve my level of play as we roll on here.
Q. That collective staying with it you referenced, anybody driving that or is it just kind of a group understanding?
KENNY PICKETT: It's a group effort. If I make a bad throw, those guys pick me up. If they miss a block or they drop a pass, I'll pick them up, and we just continue to move on that way.
That's what great teams do, great teammates do. You just continue to see the improvements throughout the game. When we got back on track like we did in converting those big third downs going down there and pinching it in and getting the two-point conversion, I mean, I think everybody is sticking together. Working towards that same goal is really what drove that.
Q. Say anything during that drive? Do you go and give a special speech, or do you want to not show any different emotion at that point?
KENNY PICKETT: I mean, listen, it's reading the room, knowing what we need. I think everyone was dialed in, locked in on what we had to do. There is no rah-rah speech that's going to go put the ball in the end zone. You just kind of had that look about you, and everybody else responds that way and it was business.
So it was an unbelievable drive, great drive to get in there, and then get the two point conversion.
Q. When a guy like Benny Snell gets his number called and he really fills in well and you guys don't miss a beat, is that fun in the huddle?
KENNY PICKETT: Ton of fun, especially because I played with him a lot in the pre-season. We have a great relationship, and when we're in there together I have nothing but extreme confidence that he's going to do his job and I'll do mine.
He's a guy that has an edge to him and plays really hard, man, so I absolutely love playing with Benny. And what he does for us when he's in, that kind of juice he brings, that edge. He runs angry, you know. Detailed guy. Really hasn't got many snaps and comes in here and does his job at a really high level.
Extremely great things to say about Benny and really proud of how he played, and it was awesome to see.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports