Through two preseason games, the Pittsburgh Steelers have given the starting nod to their backup quarterbacks. Despite a scintillating performance from Drew Allar in the first game, Will Howard started against the New York Jets this week.
However, it hasn’t been a seamless showcase for the second-year quarterback. Giving up interceptions on back-to-back drives, it limited the team to zero points in the first half. But for a former NFL quarterback, the mistake in those interceptions lay with wide receiver Roman Wilson.
Will Howard Isn’t a Lost Cause YetThe Steelers are in a weird situation heading into the 2026 NFL season. After Mike McCarthy took over the head coaching job for the organization, his reunion with Aaron Rodgers could last just one year.
With the four-time MVP making it known that this is his final season in the league, the franchise is going to have to worry about the future, particularly with respect to their quarterback situation, in a short amount of time.
Between Howard and Drew Allar, they have two late-round draft picks at their disposal. Unless they decide to add a third option for McCarthy to choose from or stick with Mason Rudolph as the QB2, the veteran head coach needs to gauge what is at his disposal so far.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM:PFN’s Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator
In both preseason games, McCarthy has gotten a chance to see how they perform. Against the Green Bay Packers last week, Allar stole the show, completing 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another score on the ground.
This week, though, McCarthy gave the starting nod to Howard, who had a far less optimal showcase. While he completed 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards, he was sacked for an 11-yard loss and threw two interceptions on the first two drives of the second quarter for the Steelers.
Kurt Benkert, though, didn’t see a fault with the quarterback for either of the two picks. Rather, his blame fell on the third-year wide receiver, who he believed wasn’t using the proper technique to beat man coverage.
START PREPARING:PFN’s Free Fantasy Draft Simulator
“Man to man, SNAP it off and flatten. This is on the receiver, not the QB,” he explained about the first interception. “It’s the tough part about playing in preseason football, you have to be on time and trust the spots, but sometimes the DB wants the ball more than the receiver does.”
Going a step further, he added, “In this offense this is a ‘thru’ route. He ran it like a clear/ special as if it’s zone, but it’s clearly man. Snap it off, use aggressive hands, move the chains. You gotta want the ball.”
Unfortunately, he saw a similar problem with the second turnover as well, claiming, “Stat sheet won’t show the receiver drifting up field just giving a free INT. Snap it off and flatten vs man. This route was really bad.”
To open the second half, the Steelers went to Allar to give him some burn after a spectacular preseason debut last week. But Benkert, who was an undrafted free agent in 2018 and split time between the Atlanta Falcons and Packers before becoming an analyst, was still peeved about Howard’s interceptions.
“Both of Will Howard’s ints were to Roman Wilson, on the same exact route, making the same exact mistake drifting upfield and getting undercut,” Benkert said. “One was to the right, and one was to the left.”
It remains to be seen whether the Steelers’ coaching staff sees it the same way. But if Allar can continue his form from last week against New York as well, then the QB hierarchy might shift in Pittsburgh, with a new QB2 for McCarthy to operate an offense, which, last season, ranked 16th on PFN’s Offense Impact Rankings.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Leave a Comment