The Pittsburgh Steelers kept telling Drew Allar to take what the New York Jets gave him instead of waiting for the bigger throw during Friday night’s 17-0 loss. The rookie passed up shorter completions that could’ve kept the offense out of sacks and third-and-long.
Allar’s 38-yard completion to Lake McRee showed why the downfield option remained tempting. It was one of Pittsburgh’s few offensive highlights, but those occasional flashes couldn’t give a young offense any consistent rhythm.
With Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph sitting, Allar played the entire second half and completed 11 of 23 passes for 110 yards. He also took three sacks, including at least two that he put on himself.
Drew Allar made life harder by passing up early-down checkdowns in Pittsburgh Steelers loss to Jets
Allar spent too many early downs searching for more than the defense was offering. The short completions weren’t exciting, but they would’ve kept drives moving and limited the Jets’ pass-rush opportunities.
“I just need to do a better job, especially early in drives, taking what's given,” Allar said. “I feel like I passed up a couple opportunities early in drives that either set us back with an incompletion or a sack.”
Those decisions matter more than the raw completion percentage in a preseason game. Pittsburgh rushed for only 98 yards on 26 carries. A shuffled offensive line wasn't giving Allar much margin for extra pocket sightseeing. An easy catch-and-tackle throw could've kept the playbook open and helped a young unit find some rhythm.
Arth apparently delivered the same note from the sideline. Asked about the coaches' early feedback, Allar said, “With [quarterbacks] coach [Tom] Arth on the sideline, I know I keep repeating myself, but just take what's there.”
Drew Allar speaks to the media. @Acrisure pic.twitter.com/bJWEZAYyyB
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 22, 2026
Allar’s long completion to McRee explains why the bigger throw can be difficult to abandon. His arm gives him confidence that something might open downfield if he waits another beat -- but pass rushers can quickly turn that extra beat into a sack.
Allar also owned at least two of the three sacks, which should make Saturday's film session fairly straightforward and offer several examples of manageable downs the rookie made more difficult.
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