The Steelers’ second preseason game was supposed to be another chance for the quarterback room to build on a strong opener. Instead, Pittsburgh’s offense went flat in a 17-0 loss to the New York Jets, and Will Howard took the brunt of it.
Howard got the start after head coach Mike McCarthy said he had seen enough from Mason Rudolph and gave him the night off. But the Ohio State product never found a rhythm.
After a three-and-out and a four-play series that ended in a punt, Howard fired a red-zone interception straight to Jets safety Andre Cisco, wiping out what had been a 12-play drive. His next possession ended the same way, with an underthrown ball to Roman Wilson picked off by Samuel Womack.
Howard’s night ended after the first half, and he finished 10-of-15 for 74 yards with two interceptions. With a shot to strengthen his case as Aaron Rodgers’ backup, he may have done the opposite and put his place on the 53-man roster in doubt.
Drew Allar’s night wasn’t much cleaner, though the problems around him were different. Pittsburgh’s offensive line was under siege all game, and the third-round pick was sacked three times.
He did manage the Steelers’ biggest offensive play, escaping pressure to the left before uncorking a 38-yard sideline throw to Lake McRee. But the offense never got rolling, with seven dropped passes and limited separation from Cornell Powell, Levi Wentz, Jaheim Bell, and Joaqin Davis helping drag Allar down to 11-of-23 for 110 yards.
The first-team defense also opened the night looking unready. The Jets came out and marched 69 yards in 10 plays, finishing with a touchdown pass from Smith to Jelani Woods.
On the play, both Alex Highsmith and Patrick Queen bit on Smith, leaving Woods alone in the flat. Pittsburgh held New York out of the end zone until late in the fourth quarter, when Quincy Skinner hauled in a 31-yard touchdown.
Even in a preseason loss, there were still a few individual bright spots for Pittsburgh. Yahya Black got a hand up on a Geno Smith throw and knocked it down at the line.
DeShon Elliott forced a fumble on third down, and though the Steelers didn’t recover it, the play still stood out as a welcome sign from a healthy Elliott. Carson Bruener put together one of the best sequences of the night, batting down a Cade Klubnik pass and then sacking Klubnik with less than a minute left in the first half.
Elandon Roberts, wearing No. 50 again, led the team with five tackles, including one for loss and another on fourth down that ended a Jets drive. Jack Sawyer added a sack and a pass deflection, while rookie Robert-Spears Jennings and veteran Rayshawn Jenkins both had positive moments in coverage and run support.
There were a few encouraging throws scattered in among the mess. Howard hit Ben Skowronek for 16 yards on third-and-eight and found Robert Tonyan for a 12-yard completion.
Allar connected with McRee on the deep ball and also landed 15- and 17-yard throws to Isaiah Winstead. But those flashes were buried under Howard’s two interceptions, the constant pressure up front, and an offense that never came close to sustaining anything.
Pittsburgh finishes the preseason next Thursday night in Buffalo against the Bills before the roster gets trimmed to 53 players ahead of Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons.
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