The Pittsburgh Steelers can do what Cleveland couldn’t Thursday night, but only if Will Howard and Drew Allar play cleaner football than they did against the New York Jets. Buffalo buried the Browns 31-7 in its second preseason game, and Pittsburgh’s offense has already shown how quickly a preseason game can go south when drives end with giveaways.
Pittsburgh’s 1-1 record is harmless. But while preseason records don't mean squat, performances do -- and the tape has been less than encouraging. A solid 28-9 win over Green Bay gave way to a 17-0 shutout against New York, with the offensive line struggling and the run game offering little help. Howard completed 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards with two interceptions, while Allar went 11 of 23 for 110 yards. Pittsburgh finished 0-for-2 in the red zone and 3-for-13 on third down.
Mike McCarthy will again sit veterans Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph, leaving the remaining preseason work to Howard and Allar. Thursday supplies development reps and Howard’s last audition before cutdown decisions.
As a rookie drafted by the first McCarthy administration, Allar is essentially protected from cuts. Howard is squarely on the bubble, especially if McCarthy only keeps three quarterbacks. While he recently expressed openness to doing so, he's never carried four on a Week 1 active roster in his 18-year head-coaching career.
Pittsburgh Steelers need a much better offensive performance against the Bills to finish their preseason
Buffalo’s backups flattened Cleveland 31-7 without Josh Allen taking a snap. Kyle Allen (who completed one pass for 19 yards in 2024 for the Steelers) and Shane Buechele each directed two touchdown drives, while the Bills outgained the Browns 368-194 and averaged 6.5 yards per play. Cleveland allowed a 71-yard touchdown to Ja’Mori Maclin and allowed Buffalo’s backups to control the game from there.
Pittsburgh can change that script by keeping Howard and Allar out of obvious passing downs. With roster cuts coming on Sunday, the primary focus of the final preseason game is expected to be evaluating roster-bubble players.
The reserve offensive line needs to create enough movement for the running game to matter, and the quarterbacks must take the available completion rather than trying to rescue stalled drives with one risky throw. Howard’s two interceptions -- one in the red zone -- against New York erased Pittsburgh’s best first-half possession and fed the quarterback gap discussion.
The defense has an equally practical assignment. Maclin gained roughly 55 yards after the catch on Buffalo’s long touchdown, so Pittsburgh can make the Bills earn their points by tackling cleanly in space. Cleveland couldn’t do that, and its offense gave the defense few chances to catch its breath.
Howard gets the first crack Thursday, with Allar to follow. McCarthy needs one of them to keep the offense on schedule long enough to evaluate everyone else. After the two picks against the Jets, Howard’s first red-zone finish would be a good place to start.
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