PITTSBURGH -- Eight days after helping the offense light up the scoreboard with 28 points, young Steelers quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar combined to throw two interceptions, take four sacks and score zero points in a 17-0 preseason loss to the New York Jets on Friday night.
"If I'm looking for one clean way to explain the production of going down from eight days ago today, the details and the execution wasn't as high," coach Mike McCarthy said.
The subpar performance from the young quarterbacks comes as McCarthy continues to evaluate and shape his depth chart behind 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers. Veteran backup Mason Rudolph started the first preseason game, but McCarthy elected to exclusively play Howard and Allar against the Jets because the coach said he saw what he "needed to see" from Rudolph against the Green Bay Packers.
Howard, making his first career start Friday, eventually settled in after sputtering out of the gate, but his most promising drives each ended with interceptions as he targeted wide receiver Roman Wilson.