The Steelers didn’t leave Buffalo with a win, but they did leave with one last full look at a roster still trying to sort itself out before the August 30 cutdown deadline. In a 28-27 preseason loss to the Bills, Pittsburgh got a mix of useful answers and fresh headaches, which is exactly what a final exhibition game tends to deliver.
For Will Howard, though, the night didn’t do much to strengthen his case. He threw two early touchdowns, but both came after special teams mistakes gave him short fields.
Outside of that, the rookie quarterback was mostly stuck in neutral: 7 of 13 for 51 yards, one interception that appeared to come on a miscommunication, and three sacks. He never looked comfortable behind the line, and the shaky protection around him only made things worse.
The bigger question now is whether he’s shown enough for Pittsburgh to stick with the reported plan of carrying four quarterbacks. Based on this showing, the answer looks like no.
The backup offensive line didn’t help the situation. That group has been one of the more worrying parts of Pittsburgh’s preseason, and it showed again against Buffalo.
Broderick Jones and rookie Max Iheanachor both had multiple rough snaps at tackle. Iheanachor at least has some cover, since he had missed most of the last few weeks of practice and was making his first preseason appearance.
Jones, on the other hand, continued to look shaky. At this point, Pittsburgh should at least be thinking about whether there’s a trade market for him before the roster is finalized.
The run game did show a little more pulse than it had in the first two preseason games. After averaging only 3.1 yards per carry over the first two contests, Pittsburgh improved to 4.2 yards per rush on 23 attempts against the Bills.
Lew Nichols did most of the damage, piling up 40 yards on seven carries. Eli Heidenreich added 35 yards on nine carries and scored on a nicely executed toss play with Iheanachor helping open the lane.
It wasn’t a statement performance, but it was a better night for the backs than Pittsburgh had been getting.
That said, Kaleb Johnson may have done more harm than good to his own case. He barely got on the field in Week 1, then looked a little better against the Jets with 10 carries for 39 yards and two catches for 15 yards.
Against Buffalo, he slid behind Nichols, Heidenreich and Travis Homer, and even with five second-half carries he managed only 11 yards. He didn’t look as explosive as the other backs who touched the ball, and it would be a surprise if he ends up on the final roster.
The Steelers’ defense had its own encouraging moment, especially against the run. Pittsburgh sat most of its starting defensive line, with Yahya Black the lone exception, and still made Buffalo work.
Take away Skyler Bell’s 28-yard touchdown on a handoff to a receiver, and the Bills managed just 2.7 yards per carry on 23 attempts. Buffalo did score three rushing touchdowns, but those came in short-yardage situations.
Gabriel Rubio kept building on what he’s shown all preseason, once again looking like a sixth-round pick who has already forced people to rethink his value. The linebackers remain a question, but the front looks ready to help hold the point.
Kaden Wetjen’s night followed a familiar preseason pattern: early promise, a quiet stretch, then one play that reminded everyone why he matters. He opened his Steelers run with a 74-yard catch-and-run against the Packers and later added a touchdown.
The next week against the Jets, he didn’t get a target on offense and coughed up a fumble on a return. In Buffalo, he was quiet for most of the night before finally breaking through in the fourth quarter, taking a short punt 45 yards for a touchdown when the Bills were pinned near their own goal line.
He was never likely to be in danger of missing the roster, but that return was the kind of play the Steelers drafted him to make.
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The preseason finale against Buffalo offered the kind of final look teams hope for in late August, with a few young Steelers making their case as roster decisions loom. Germie Bernard found the end zone, Kaden Wetjen gave the return game a jolt with a punt return touchdown, and Max Iheanachor made his NFL debut with a handful of encouraging snaps, all in a one-point loss that still gave Pittsburgh some useful tape to sort through.
Will Howards night went in the other direction, with an interception and some uneven pocket presence adding to the uncertainty around the quarterback room. Kaleb Johnson did not get much room to work with, and Dylan Cooks standing in the lineup still looks unsettled, leaving the Steelers with a few intriguing performances to weigh against the roster questions that always sharpen when the final cuts are near. [Read more 🡒]