In a disappointing preseason outing, the Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the New York Jets 17-0 on Friday night, marking a stark contrast to their previous performance just eight days earlier. Young quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar, who had previously helped the team score 28 points, struggled significantly, combining for two interceptions and four sacks without putting any points on the board. Head coach Mike McCarthy noted the drop in execution and detail, stating, "If I'm looking for one clean way to explain the production of going down from eight days ago today, the details and the execution wasn't as high."
Quarterback Struggles Highlighted
Howard, making his first career start, initially faced challenges but began to find his rhythm as the game progressed. Despite completing 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards, his promising drives were thwarted by interceptions, particularly when targeting wide receiver Roman Wilson. "I felt really comfortable in the pocket," Howard reflected, acknowledging the impact of his turnovers. After a shaky start, he managed to lead the offense to the Jets' 14-yard line, only to have a pass intercepted by safety Andre Cisco. Howard's efforts to prevent a pick-six showcased his determination, but the mistakes proved costly.
On another drive, Howard connected with rookie fullback Riley Nowakowski and tight end Robert Tonyan, advancing to the Jets' 37-yard line. However, another interception occurred when a pass intended for Wilson was intercepted by cornerback Samuel Womack. "Both of them were unfortunate," Howard lamented, emphasizing the need for better execution. McCarthy echoed this sentiment, indicating that the plays were not executed cleanly.
Allar's Performance and Team Reflection
Allar took over for Howard in the second half but faced his own set of challenges, completing 11 of 23 passes for 110 yards without any turnovers. Despite this, the offense struggled with dropped passes and penalties, leading to a lack of momentum. "I just need to do a better job, especially early in drives, taking what's given," Allar admitted, recognizing missed opportunities that hindered the team's progress. He noted that his performance felt "cleaner" compared to his previous game, attributing this to gaining experience in a game-like environment.
Despite the loss, McCarthy remained optimistic, suggesting that the team made some progress, even if it wasn't reflected in the score. However, Howard's self-assessment was more critical, acknowledging both positives and negatives. "We can't let this trip us up going forward," he stated, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement. "We definitely did not take a step forward tonight. We got to clean that up."
