Steelers miss field goal after long Drew Allar pass

The Steelers almost got their first points of the game on their second drive of the second half.

Quarterback Drew Allar completed a 38-yard pass to tight end Lake McRee to put the offense in scoring range despite another holding penalty, this one on receiver Levi Wentz, earlier in the drive. The ball was at the 19-yard line before a sack on the ensuing third down brought out Laith Marjan for a field goal attempt.

Unfortunately for the Steelers, he missed from 44 yards, so they continue to trail, 7-0, here at Acrisure Stadium.

Steelers defense slowing down Jets running game

The Steelers’ defense is producing well tonight after yielding a touchdown on the opening drive.

First-year defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s group has been particularly solid against the run. Through one drive in the third quarter, New York has just 31 rushing yards on 13 carries. That’s an inefficient average of 2.4 yards per carry.

Linebackers Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb were active in forcing a turnover on downs on the Jets’ first drive of the second half. Both stuffed runs for zero yards before Cade Klubnik completed a pass short of the sticks to Sam Scott on fourth down. Roberts was in on that stop as well.

Steelers start Drew Allar at QB to open second half

Rookie quarterback Drew Allar is into the game for the Steelers to open the second half against the Jets. He relieves Will Howard.

The offense continued to look disjointed under his guidance. He completed two of three passes for 11 yards on his first drive, which ended with a fourth-down miss to receiver Levi Wentz. The result was a turnover on downs near midfield.

The drive was short-circuited by a 10-yard holding penalty against offensive lineman Ryan McCollum, which put Allar and Co. behind the sticks.

Steelers trail, 7-0 at halftime vs. Jets

The first half is over following Will Howard’s latest interception for the Steelers. The Jets’ Cade York missed on a 59-yard field goal attempt on the ensuing drive as time expired.

Howard’s evening is done after completing 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards. The stat sheet isn’t much prettier for his teammates.

Ben Skowronek led Steelers receivers with three catches for 26 yards. Roman Wilson added two for 16 and was the intended target for both of Howard’s first-half picks. Rookie receiver Germie Bernard was blanked following his promising debut last week against the Packers.

As a team, the Steelers totaled 45 yards on the ground. Top backs Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle got five touches each and finished with 18 and 17 yards, respectively. They’re likely done for the night.

Defensively, Jack Sawyer and Carson Bruener have notched sacks against Jets quarterback Cade Klubnik, but the defense is still searching for its first turnover of the preseason, six quarters in.

Steelers’ Will Howard picked again in likely end to rough night

Quarterback Will Howard’s first NFL start appears to be ending in a dud.

The Steelers’ second-year man from Ohio State was picked in Jets territory for a second consecutive drive, this time by Samuel Womack III, to end yet another threat here toward the end of the first half.

He tried to lead receiver Roman Wilson on the 3rd-and-5 throw at the Jets’ 23-yard line, but Womack read it well and stepped in front of it for the turnover.

Howard will give way to rookie Drew Allar for the second half. He’s completed 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards this evening. The Steelers continue to trail, 7-0.

Kaleb Johnson gets an early look for Steelers

The Steelers’ 2025 third-round pick is into the game much earlier tonight against the Jets than he was in the preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers.

Kaleb Johnson started the drive behind quarterback Will Howard in the formation and has been out there for most of this late drive in the second quarter. He has two carries for seven yards so far.

Johnson played just five snaps and carried twice for three yards against the Packers. He was buried behind starter Travis Homer and Lew Nichols in that one with top running backs Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren sitting out.

It’s notable that he’s playing ahead of Homer and Nichols tonight. The move suggests he may still have a fighting chance of staying on the roster, ahead of the guys who beat him out in terms of playing time last week.

Johnson totaled 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in his final standout season at Iowa, but an early special teams gaffe last season against Seattle saw him mostly relegated to the bench behind Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. He carried just 28 times for 69 yards.

Steelers’ Will Howard throws ugly pick to end promising drive

The Steelers’ first drive of the second quarter was its most promising of the night. At least until quarterback Will Howard threw an ugly interception.

The second-year signal caller making his first NFL start was picked by the Jets’ Andre Cisco on a 3rd-and-4 passes intended for receiver Roman Wilson. He appeared to force the throw, which ended poorly for him.

The Steelers had driven to the Jets’ 14-yard line by getting second-team running back Rico Dowdle involved frequently. He had five carries for 18 yards on the drive and added a catch for two yards.

Dowdle was signed to a two-year contract in March to replace departed team MVP Kenneth Gainwell as starter Jaylen Warren’s top counterpart at the position.

The Steelers continue to trail, 7-0.

Steelers trail, 7-0 after first quarter

An ugly first quarter has ended for the Steelers against the Jets. They’ll start the second period with the ball after a Kaden Wetjen fumble on a punt return was recovered out of bounds.

The Steelers were outgained, 75-3 in the opening frame. The offense has eight rushing yards on four carries, even with starter Jaylen Warren in the game.

Will Howard hasn’t had a chance to get in rhythm. He’s completed one of three passes for 14 yards.

Broderick Jones enters, gives up big sack

Offensive tackle Broderick Jones did himself no favors after checking in for starting right tackle Dylan Cook on the second offensive drive for the Steelers.

The team’s 2023 third-round pick gave up an 11-yard sack of QB Will Howard on a 3rd-and-9 near midfield to force another Steelers punt.

Jones was the starting right tackle last season before he was sidelined by a neck injury. Cook took over for him and played well to assume starting duties this offseason. The Steelers declined the fifth-year option on Jones’ rookie contract, which put his future with the team in doubt.

He will likely make the team safely as a depth tackle, but he has yet to prove that he can be more than that to new coach Mike McCarthy and GM Omar Khan. And this inauspicious start won’t help his cause.

Steelers get a stop vs. Cade Klubnik

The Jets deployed rookie QB Cade Klubnik for their second offensive drive of the game, and the Steelers defense looked a lot better than it did against Geno Smith on the opening drive.

Safety Rayshawn Jenkins and cornerback Doneiko Slaughter knifed into the backfield to stuff Kene Nwangwu for a three-yard loss on second down. Then Nick Herbig got a nice rush on Klubnik on third down to force an incompletion.

Will Howard and the Steelers offense will start their second drive with nice field position as they trail, 7-0.

Will Howard, Steelers offense opens with three-and-out vs. Jets

Steelers quarterback Will Howard’s first NFL start got off to a slow start here against the Jets.

The first-team offense went three-and-out on the opening drive of the game. First- and second-down runs by running back Jaylen Warren netted just a single yard. Howard then missed receiver Roman Wilson on third down to force a punt.

Howard is starting in place of Aaron Rodgers and presumed top backup Mason Rudolph, whom coach Mike McCarthy said he saw enough of in the preseason opener against the Packers.

Geno Smith, Jets strike first vs. Steelers

Jets quarterback Geno Smith made quick work of the Steelers’ first team defense.

The Jets marched 69 yards on 10 plays and scored on a 13-yard pass to Jelani Woods to give New York at 7-0 lead here at Acrisure Stadium.

Smith and Co. converted a pair of third downs as the Steelers pass rush failed to generate much pressure. He completed all seven of his passes for 65 yards on the drive.

The Steelers secondary featured starters Jamel Dean (cornerback) and DeShon Elliott (safety.) Starting outside linebacker Nick Herbig was also out there for the opening drive.

Top RBs Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle dressed vs. Jets

It appears coach Mike McCarthy may want to see more from his running game against the Jets.

Top running backs Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle are in uniform tonight here at Acrisure Stadium. How much they’ll play, if at all, remains to be seen.

What we do know is that the Steelers struggled on the ground in the preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers last week, totaling just 72 yards on 28 carries. That comes out to an inefficient average of just 2.6 yards per carry.

Travis Homer and Lew Nichols were the lead backs that night. Notably, 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson played sparingly. The potential appearances of Warren and Dowdle could limit his opportunities further and hurt his bid to play his way onto the 53-man roster at the end of the month.

Veteran receivers DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. are not dressed. They’ve been dealing with injuries through training camp. Rookie first-round pick Max Iheanachor is also not in uniform. It appears he’s still working through a camp injury of his own that’s derailed his chances of pushing starter Dylan Cook at right tackle.

Minkah Fitzpatrick greets former Steelers teammates

Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick mixed it up with some of his former Steelers teammates during warmups here at Acrisure Stadium.

It’s the former All-Pro’s second journey to Pittsburgh since he was traded to the Miami Dolphins before last season in exchange for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith. His Dolphins dropped a 28-15 decision here last December.

He earned three first-team All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowl nods during his six seasons in Pittsburgh, during which he was one of coach Mike Tomlin’s key cogs alongside T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward.

Fitzpatrick was subsequently traded to the Jets in March of this year and signed a three-year, $40 million contract to stay with them through 2028.

Aaron Rodgers imitator speaks to USA Today

Aaron Rodgers won’t be playing for the Steelers tonight against the Jets, but his presence always looms large.

That’s especially true for Jackson Bonneville, a Wisconsin native who’s gained over 800,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok by imitating the likely Hall of Fame quarterback. He barks out snap counts like him. He celebrates like him. And during training camp this season, he was embraced by Rodgers and his teammates alike.

USA Today caught up with Bonneville to get the inside scoop on his social media journey and his growing relationship with Rodgers and the Steelers, which included tossing sessions on the field and an evening trip for ice cream during the recently concluded stay at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.

Steelers vs. Jets players to watch

Quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar will be center stage for the Steelers in this one, but they won’t be the only guys to keep an eye on throughout the evening.

Asante Samuel Jr. had a nice training camp and performed well against the Packers. He’ll look to keep the momentum going amid a back injury to starter Joey Porter Jr., who’s looking for a new contract before the season.

Rookie Gabriel Rubio will also want to build on his strong first impressions. He had four tackles against the Packers, even as an underdog to make a roster filled with veterans along the defensive line.

Steelers vs. Jets odds

Odds courtesy ofBetMGMas of Friday, Aug.21

• Spread: Jets (-1.5)
• Over/under: 37.5
• Moneyline: Jets -120, Steelers +100

For the second week in a row, the Steelers will be facing an opponent’s starting quarterback while sitting their own and starting Will Howard, the man who’s No. 3 on their depth chart. Most of the team’s biggest names including DK Metcalf, T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Jaylen Warren and Michael Pittman Jr. are expected to sit as well, which is enough to make the Jets slight road favorites in this one.

Steelers vs. Jets time, TV info

• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• Location: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
• TV info: KDKA-TV or CBS affiliates locally; NFL Network nationally
• Streaming: Steelers.com or NFL+ | Fubo

The game will kick off around 7 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium. Bob Pompeani and Charlie Batch will be on the call. Viewers within the Steelers TV market can watch the game on the KDKA-TV flagship or local CBS affiliate.

National viewers can find it on NFL Network.

Those who want to stream can turn to Fubo, which carries NFL Network and also offers a free trial.