Kenny Pickett isn't a franchise quarterback. But he can be.

The Pittsburgh Steelers must do what's necessary to properly build around this year's 20th overall draft pick and place him in a position to succeed.

That's not currently the case, despite Monday's 24-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

If anything, the win showed how far the Steelers are from being a consistently competitive team and how much the offense needs to improve, both schematically and from a personnel standpoint.

Outdueling an inept Colts offense led by a severely limited Matt Ryan isn't a feather in the Steelers' cap. Sure, any win is a good win. At the same time, both teams struggled throughout the contest, particularly when asked to move the ball with any regularity.

To Pickett's credit, the rookie pieced together a fine performance. He completed 71.4 percent of his passes for 174 yards, earned an 87.5 passer rating and rushed for 32 yards.

Those numbers may seem meager on the surface, but Pittsburgh's wide receivers dropped multiple passes after Pickett made accurate throws. His ability to extend plays also served as a critical component in extending some drives.