Pittsburgh Steelers fans had high hopes for their team in Week 2 of the preseason after watching an exciting preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers last week. But as good as that contest was, their second exhibition contest against the New York Jets was just the opposite.
From start to finish, the Steelers struggled offensively with poor offensive line play, sloppiness, and penalties. Unfortunately, there weren't many positive takeaways for Mike McCarthy's team in this contest.
It's only the preseason, but there's no doubt that the Steelers came plummeting back down to earth after this disappointing showing against the Jets.
These nine takeaways from the Pittsburgh Steelers' preseason game against the Jets raise concerns
Will Howard took himself out of the QB2 race (and his job might be on the line)
Whatever you thought might have been the worst-case scenario for Will Howard in his second preseason game, he just lived it. Through two full quarters of action, Howard led his offense to zero points scored, showing inconsistency in reading the defense and delivering accurate throws.
His decision-making was questionable at best. Howard finished the game with two interceptions while recording just 74 passing yards on 15 attempts (4.9 yards per attempt). This was good for a dismal 38.6 passer rating.
Howard at least had a chance at earning the QB2 role for the Steelers this year, and he couldn't afford to blow a golden opportunity in his first Steelers start. That chance is now officially gone. And after a performance like this, when he needed it most, his job in Pittsburgh could be on the line.
Steelers' first-team defense was a letdown to begin the game
On the very first defensive series of the game, Pittsburgh allowed Geno Smith to march down the field while completing seven of seven passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. This was not what we wanted to see from this unit.
Yes, the Steelers were without T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Joey Porter Jr., and Jalen Ramsey, but the rest of the starters played... and they struggled to do much early.
Though this unit played sound after the opening series, they can't be starting games in a hole like this. Smith was comfortably pulled from the contest after earning a 144.9 passer rating on his opening scoring drive.
Steelers couldn't run the football
Another preseason outing, another inept rushing attack. This wasn't just on the running backs; the offensive line did little in the way of creating alleys for the backs to sneak through. The Steelers averaged just 3.5 yards per carry in the first half, while the team fell short of 100 yards rushing.
Kaden Wetjen was largely ineffective as a returner
Kaden Wetjen surprised fans in his preseason debut last week by earning 79 receiving yards and a touchdown on offense. But in terms of special teams, he's been grossly underwhelming. Wetjen hasn't gone above and beyond as the team expected he would when they spent a fourth-round pick on the Iowa product.
Wetjen finished the game with 22 kick return yards and 29 punt return yards on five total returns (one kick return and four punt returns). He also had a fumble that could have been costly had the Jets player who recovered it not stepped out of bounds. This was a dud showing from the rookie return specialist.
Jack Sawyer looked like a true contributor in the first half
On a positive note, outside linebacker Jack Sawyer looked like a player the Steelers could count on in the defensive rotation. Sawyer got his hand up to bat a pass before earning a sack. The second-year player and 2025 fourth-round pick made his presence felt.
Carson Bruener locked up a Steelers roster spot
I don't think there was much of a chance of Carson Bruener being a cut candidate, but after an awesome performance in the Steelers' preseason game against the Jets, Bruener feels like a roster lock.
Bruener already had impressive special-teams ability, and he's showing that he can offer something on defense if the team asks him to help in this area. Bruener had an impressive sack and a pass defense,
Gabriel Rubio continues to look solid as a run defender
On the Jets' opening drive of the second half, Gabriel Rubio was involved in two run stops and showed the high energy we saw from him in his preseason debut. The 2026 sixth-round pick looks the part of an NFL defensive lineman, and his stopping power in the run game is real.
The Steelers' passing performance in Week 1 of the preseason might have been a fluke
In the Steelers' preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, the passing game was electric. And it wasn't just one quarterback; it was all three of Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar. Against the Jets, however, the Steelers couldn't move the football with any sort of consistency.
The passing game simply couldn't get going. This wasn't just a quarterback problem; it was the offensive line and the wide receivers as well.
The offensive line was a problem all game
The Steelers were without their two rookie offensive linemen, Max Iheanachor and Gennings Dunker. But it was still disappointing to see the offensive line play as badly as they did in Week 2 of the preseason.
From the beginning of the game until the closing whistle, the offensive line struggled to hold up in pass protection, while creating running lanes proved to be a struggle for the second straight week. Offensive tackle Jack Driscoll had an awful game as a pass protector, and as a unit, they couldn't avoid penalties.
The Steelers will need to get their offensive line issues figured out before the start of the season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google