Seven throws, seven completions
Geno Smith needed one series. The New York Jets quarterback went 7 of 7 for 65 yards on Friday night in Pittsburgh, steered a 10-play, 69-yard opening drive and found tight end Jelani Woods alone in the flat for a 13-yard touchdown. Then he took off the helmet and watched the rest.
That was his whole night. It was also his first preseason action of the summer, after the Jets held him out of the opener. New York walked out of Pittsburgh with a 17-0 win.
Cade Klubnik handled the next shift and completed 10 of 14 for 75 yards. Two more quarterbacks took snaps behind him. Quincy Skinner Jr. finished with a game-high four catches for 47 yards and closed the scoring in the fourth quarter, hauling in a 31-yard throw from Brady Cook.
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Rodgers sits, Pittsburgh sputters
Aaron Rodgers watched from the sideline for the second preseason game in a row. The Steelers have kept their starter in street clothes all August, leaving the backups to carry every rep.
Will Howard drew the start and threw two interceptions, finishing 10 of 15 for 74 yards. Drew Allar took over and went 11 of 23 for 110 yards. Neither reached the end zone, and Pittsburgh was shut out at home.
Kaleb Johnson led all rushers with 39 yards on 10 carries, a number that says most of what needs saying about the night. The Steelers moved the ball in short stretches and stalled every time the field got shorter.
Where both teams stand
Both clubs sit at 1-1 with the preseason winding down. For the Jets, the value of the evening was narrow and specific: their starting quarterback threw a clean series, the offense scored on its opening possession, and nobody limped off. That is the entire brief in late August.
Pittsburgh leaves with a longer list. Howard’s two interceptions came against a Jets defense that rotated heavily after the first quarter, and the quarterback room behind Rodgers has produced little through two exhibitions.
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