Steelers Rising and Falling Players After Preseason Loss to Jets

Steelers Blanked in 17-0 Preseason Loss to Jets

For the Jets, the game marked a notable defensive turnaround after a historic 2025 campaign where the team failed to intercept a single pass under head coach Aaron Glenn according to Yahoo Sports. On Friday, New York’s defense intercepted two passes and pitched a shutout on the road.

Quarterback Struggles for Howard and Allar

Quarterback Will Howard earned his first start of the preseason with Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph sitting out the contest. Howard completed 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards but threw two interceptions on consecutive possessions late in the first half while playing four series that yielded no points for Pittsburgh. His first interception came in the red zone when safety Andre Cisco intercepted a third-and-4 pass at the 14-yard line. His second interception occurred on a third-and-5 play when cornerback Samuel Womack III undercut a pass intended for Roman Wilson in Jets territory.

Rookies and backups also saw extensive work, including Drew Allar, who played the entire second half. Allar finished 11 of 23 passing for 110 yards. While Allar did not commit a turnover, he failed to lead the Steelers to any points. His most notable play came early in the third quarter when he rolled out of the pocket to his left, avoided a rush, and threw an off-balance 38-yard completion to tight end Lake McRee along the sideline.

Roster Standouts and Injury Returns

Several individual players made notable impacts in the battle for roster spots:

• Inside linebacker Elandon Roberts led all Steelers players with five tackles in his first game action since signing the previous week, stopping a fourth-down run on the Jets’ opening drive of the second half.
• Inside linebacker Carson Bruener performed strongly on the final drive of the first half by running over running back Kene Nwangwu, recording a sack against Klubnik, and breaking up a pass.
• Running back Kaleb Johnson carried 10 times for 39 yards, receiving extensive opportunities from the coaching staff, though he remains on the roster bubble after struggling to reach the edge on several runs.
• Offensive tackle Broderick Jones struggled while playing with the starters on the second drive, giving up a pressure and a sack to David Bailey, and later surrendering another sack to backup edge rusher Nate Lynn.
• Strong safety DeShon Elliott returned to game action for the first time since suffering a season-ending knee injury in October, allowing an initial first-down catch and a goal-line touchdown before later forcing a fumble that the Steelers failed to recover.

Looking Ahead to the Preseason Finale

The Steelers will conclude their exhibition schedule with a road game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.