The Steelers left Acrisure Stadium with a 17-0 preseason loss to the Jets and a reminder that August is for sorting out problems before they become real ones.
Pittsburgh’s offense never got going, and the defense didn’t do much to cover for it. The result was a flat night all the way around, but the kind of night teams can still live with this time of year because it comes with a chance to clean things up before the games start counting.
One of the clearer bright spots was Rayshawn Jenkins. Starting in place of Jaquan Brisker, he didn’t make much noise in coverage, but he did flash as a run supporter by getting into the backfield and disrupting plays. He may not be the takeaway-heavy safety some teams want, but in Patrick Graham’s defense, with all the disguises it throws at offenses, he looks like a fit.
Special teams didn’t help Kaden Wetjen’s case. After Mike McCarthy made it clear last week that Wetjen needed to offer more than just return work to stick, the rookie gave the Steelers very little on offense and then hurt himself on a punt return.
He fumbled, appearing to hand the ball to a Jets defender along the sideline, though the play ended with the Jets player not getting both feet in bounds before going out of bounds. Either way, it was an ugly moment for a player who is trying to survive as more than just a specialist.
The right tackle situation remains a problem, too. The Steelers are hoping their first-round pick comes back from injury this week, because otherwise the current options aren’t good enough.
Broderick Jones took heat for a sack allowed to Will Howard against David Bailey, but Dylan Cook was just as much a part of the issue. He lost on nearly every rep and was especially rough on the interception Howard threw to Andre Cisco, finishing the play well behind where the snap started.
If Iheanachor doesn’t return, the Steelers may have to start making calls, because right tackle looks like the clearest weak spot on the roster.
Howard’s night may have been the most damaging development of all. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards and two interceptions, and both turnovers came after he stared down the receiver, making the picks look easy.
He has the mental makeup teams want, but the arm strength simply hasn’t shown up, and it showed again here. This was his chance to prove he belongs, and he didn’t take it.
Keeping four quarterbacks was already difficult to justify; now it may be impossible. The read coming out of this game is that Howard could be off the roster in the next few weeks.
There was at least one quarterback who helped himself. Drew Allar has now played through two preseason games and continues to look like what the Steelers hoped he could be.
He’s not a starter yet, but he’s clearly grown during his time in Pittsburgh and has shown he can make plays with the ball in his hands. In the second half, he kept moving away from pressure while still looking downfield, and even when the protection broke down, he found ways to deliver throws that got the crowd involved and kept drives alive.
That’s why the next step seems obvious. Allar has already shown enough against third- and fourth-string competition.
The Steelers should start him in Buffalo against the Bills and see what he can do against first- and second-team players. He’s already on the roster, so the preseason finale feels like the right place to give him a real test.
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