Mark Madden: In a QB-driven league, Kenny Pickett isn't getting it done for Steelers

Rookie quarterback Will Levis made his NFL debut for Tennessee on Sunday. Levis did extremely well: He completed 19 of 29 passes for 238 yards, four touchdowns and a passer rating of 130.5. The Titans beat Atlanta, 28-23.

That’s of interest for two reasons.

• The Titans and Levis visit Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

• Levis’ performance topped any game Kenny Pickett has ever had. In his 20 NFL appearances (19 starts) Pickett has not come close to playing that well.

That’s because Pickett isn’t the guy.

Pickett’s ceiling is mid-level NFL quarterback. Probably not even that. He’s backup material. He’s Mason Rudolph. If Pickett hadn’t gone to Pitt, he’d be the most hated man in Pittsburgh. (OK, maybe second behind Matt Canada.)

In Sunday’s 20-10 home loss to Jacksonville, Pickett completed 10 of 16 passes for 73 yards, no touchdowns and a 73.2 passer rating before exiting with a rib injury.

Pickett’s arm was its usual level of haphazard. Pickett’s most costly misfire came in the second quarter on third-and-goal at Jacksonville’s 5-yard-line when he threw behind Diontae Johnson, who was open in the end zone. Pickett misses far too many open receivers.

Pickett was putrid. The times he transcends putrid are magnified and glorified. But Pickett doesn’t do that often enough.

Pickett isn’t the guy. He has played 20 games. That’s not a small sample. Pickett has had enough time.

He’s going to get more time. Barring injury, Pickett will start through the entirety of next season.

At that point, the Steelers will have to decide whether to pick up the fifth-year option on Pickett’s rookie contract. They will. The Steelers hate to be wrong, especially when they are.

But look at Pickett’s stats for the year: 122 for 200, five touchdowns, four interceptions, 80.6 passer rating. Those numbers stink.

Levis threw just one less touchdown in his first game than Pickett has in seven games. (Pickett’s numbers could be much worse, too: He’s had four potential pick-6s dropped this season.)

In 20 career games, Pickett has thrown for 300-plus yards just once. Two touchdowns just once. He has compiled a passer rating over 90 just three times.

The Steelers went three-and-out on their first four drives Sunday. In 17 first-quarter drives this year, the Steelers have gone three-and-out 13 times.

Pickett’s career record is 11-8, but that’s dumb luck. When the Steelers win, it’s usually despite Pickett.

Pickett isn’t improving. There’s very little sign of him getting better.

Related:

• Steelers vs. Jaguars: What they're saying in Jacksonville after their win
• Madden Monday: After enough starts, Kenny Pickett 'ain't the guy' for the Steelers
• First Call: Jaguars' social media account mocks Steelers; Titans rookie QB shines in debut
• Airing of Grievances: Odious officiating, offensive offense, dented defense lead to Steelers loss to Jaguars

Pickett is not dynamic beyond the occasional exception. He’s vanilla, and rancidly so. You don’t believe in Pickett unless you’re predisposed to do so no matter what, or unless you exaggerate his sporadic “clutch” drives. (That’s just down the dial.)

Pickett fanboys are insulted by the truth. You conjure a million sidebars to shield your precious golden boy: Bad offensive coordinator. Rotten offensive line. Nonexistent running game.

All that is true. We could invoke a few more ways to deflect blame that are game-specific, like Sunday’s terrible officiating.

But the NFL is a quarterback-driven league. That position is where the responsibility falls.

Pickett is nearing the halfway point of his second pro season and has yet to play one truly good game.

He isn’t the guy.

Mitch Trubisky isn’t the guy, either. But at least he put a touchdown on the board Sunday. Trubisky also had more rushing yards than Najee Harris.

If Pickett can’t play against Tennessee, it won’t hurt the Steelers chances.

If Pickett can play, Levis will outshine him badly.