The Pittsburgh Steelers just dropped a wild 28-27 preseason game to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, and honestly, the final score isn’t even the craziest part of the story. What truly popped off the screen was the ongoing battle at QB3, and man, it’s not getting any clearer for them. Both Drew Allar and Will Howard got their shot under center, playing a full half each, and if you were hoping for a definitive standout to make their case, you’re still waiting. It felt like a constant struggle for consistency, making this depth chart spot a real headache.
Howard’s TDs Couldn’t Hide the Numbers
Will Howard took the reins for the entire first half, and look, he did throw two touchdown passes. That’s a big deal for a guy fighting for a spot, right? He put Pittsburgh on the board first, connecting on a screen pass to rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard. Later in that same quarter, he found tight end Lake McRee for another short score. The Steelers even went into halftime leading 14-10 with Howard at the helm. But here’s the thing: those two scores were almost *it* for the consistent production. The offense was just not able to consistently move down the field with Howard under center. They finished that entire first half with a brutal 98 total yards of offense. When you zoom out, Howard finished 9 of 15 for a mere 69 yards, added that crucial interception in the second quarter, and got sacked three times. It was a truly mixed bag performance, to say the least. Those two TDs looked good on the scoreboard, but the overall drive consistency? Not so much, dude.
Allar’s Drives: A Rollercoaster of “Almost”
Then Drew Allar stepped in for the second half, and for a minute, you thought he was gonna light it up and put this battle to bed. His very first possession was a 68-yard beauty, a successful drive that was capped by a nine-yard rushing touchdown from running back Eli Heidenreich. Awesome, right? Momentum shift, for sure! But then, boom, the next two drives for Allar? Just straight-up punts. Total buzzkill after such a promising start. Allar did get the Steelers into Bills territory on his fourth drive, pushing the ball to Buffalo’s 41-yard line, but they couldn’t convert on a crucial fourth down with four yards to gain. The real gut punch came later, after the Bills grabbed that late one-point lead. Pittsburgh received the ball back, with an opportunity to move back in front and potentially win the game. But what happened? Allar’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete, leading to another turnover on downs, and that was it. Game over. He ended his night 9 of 18 for 88 yards, with zero touchdowns, zero interceptions, and impressively, he didn’t take a single sack. But the inability to close drives, especially that final, critical one, really stings and leaves you wanting more.
So, what does this all mean for Pittsburgh? Aaron Rodgers remains the unquestioned starter in Pittsburgh, that’s obvious. But the battle behind him for positioning on the Steelers’ depth chart is far from over. Neither Allar nor Howard truly seized the moment in this preseason clash, leaving a whole lot of question marks after a tough, close loss. They’re still battling it out, and frankly, neither guy made a definitive case for himself tonight. It’s gonna be wild to see how this shakes out in the coming weeks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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