Steelers Shut Out 17-0 by Jets as Howard and Allar Combine for 2 INTs

The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a 17-0 preseason loss to the New York Jets on Friday night as quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar combined for zero points.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were shut out 17-0 by the New York Jets on Friday night, failing to score a single point just eight days after the offense recorded 28 points in their previous outing. Quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar combined to throw two interceptions and were sacked four times during the preseason contest. Howard, making his first career start, completed 10 of 15 pass attempts for 74 yards, while Allar finished the night 11-of-23 for 110 yards. The offensive unit played without starting wide receivers DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. as head coach Mike McCarthy evaluated depth behind 42-year-old starter Aaron Rodgers.

Howard’s Interceptions Stall Scoring Drives

Will Howard’s night was defined by two turnovers that occurred after the offense reached Jets territory. On a drive that reached the New York 14-yard line, Howard targeted Roman Wilson on a crosser, but safety Andre Cisco intercepted the pass. Howard prevented a touchdown on the play by making a diving tackle. Later, the Steelers moved to the Jets' 37-yard line following a first-down completion to rookie fullback Riley Nowakowski and a pass to tight end Robert Tonyan. However, cornerback Samuel Womack intercepted a ball intended for Wilson that Howard described as being undercut. Howard noted that while he felt comfortable in the pocket and progressed well through his reads on first and second down, the two turnovers made the performance "sour."

Allar Struggles with Sacks and Penalties

Drew Allar took over under center to start the second half but was unable to generate points as the unit was hindered by penalties and dropped passes. The third-round pick was sacked three times during his appearance. Allar admitted to passing up early opportunities in drives that resulted in incompletions or sacks rather than taking shorter completions. Despite the lack of scoring, the young quarterback stated his operation felt cleaner compared to his preseason debut last week, where he accounted for three touchdowns. He credited the offensive line for their communication and ability to get in and out of the huddle under the stress of the game clock.

McCarthy Evaluates Quarterback Depth

Coach Mike McCarthy opted to play Howard and Allar exclusively against the Jets, resting veteran backup Mason Rudolph. McCarthy indicated he had already seen what he needed from Rudolph during the previous game against the Green Bay Packers. Regarding the interceptions thrown by Howard, McCarthy described the plays as not being "clean" in terms of execution and details. While the coach suggested the team took a step forward despite the 17-0 scoreline, Howard offered a harsher self-assessment, stating the team did not make strides and instead took a step back. The performance followed a three-and-out and a sack-ending series that preceded Howard’s most productive but turnover-plagued drives. The Steelers offense now looks to address these execution errors after failing to build on their 28-point performance from a week ago.