Kenny Pickett is ready to face the Bills

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin named rookie Kenny Pickett the starting quarterback for their Week 5 matchup against the Buffalo Bills and the 24-year-old is ready to improve the NFL’s the third-worst offense.

“I want to raise the level of play for everyone around me, but we have a lot of great players. I have to do my job. I am 100 percent confident that we will all do our jobs,” Pickett said.

According to sportsbooks, the Bills are heavy favoirtes this week at Highmark Stadium. However, Pickett believes the Steelers can come out on top if they execute.

“It’s the attitude that you go about it,” Pickett said Wednesday. “We know how great we can be when we’re detailed and execute at a high level. That’s something that we need to take care of during the week or we don’t have a shot.?

Pickett also said his offensive line is ready to face one of the league’s top pass rushing teams, “The line has done a great job all year, so I have a lot of confidence in them.”

For the first-year player, training with the first unit during the week is invaluable as it helps build confidence. “Going from no reps to getting reps and having time with these guys, this is really valuable for me for all of us to be on the same page,” Pickett said.

Relationship with Trubisky

During the preseason, Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph competed for the starting job. The presence of the former Bears and Bills player in the QB Room had a great impact on the rookie and he hopes that he will support him during his new stage as a starter.

“Mitch is one of the best teammates I’ve come across,” Pickett said. “I’m extremely grateful to have him in this room. I supported him a ton when he was in there and he’ll do the same for me. That will continue. We’re definitely great friends, on the field and off the field. That’s going to be someone I’m going to lean on throughout this experience and he’s been nothing but great to me.”