Postgame reactions, commentary and analysis following the Steelers' 17-0 loss to the Jets:
Gas tank still full
And Elandon Roberts needed just about every drop of it. One of the bright spots of the evening was Roberts and his play at inside linebacker, looking just like the same No. 50 who was last seen at Acrisure Stadium suiting up for the 2024 Steelers.
"Hey, man," Roberts said with a grin, "I ain't lost it."
Roberts led the Steelers with 4 solo tackles (5 total) and played deep into the game. His best guess is that the last time he played so much in the preseason, he was a rookie for the Patriots back in 2016, trying to make a name for himself.
But that was just fine with him. He was only signed last week, jumping into the mix relatively late, and wanted to prove to teammates new and old — not to mention the coaches — that he can fit in expeditiously.
"I really wanted to play in this preseason game," Roberts said. "Because, obviously, I want to gain the trust of the locker room, gain the trust of the coaching staff, but at the same time, I wanted to get myself ready."
That's the type of leadership, humility and work ethic Roberts is known for. But he was signed for a combination of that and his physicality, plus his football IQ. It was on display on the Jets' first series of the second half, which began with Roberts making a tackle for loss and ended with his fourth-down stop to force a turnover on downs.
Bigger Bru
Roberts wasn't the only player at his position who made an impact Friday.
Second-year inside linebacker Carson Bruener plowed through an attempt at blitz pickup by a Jets running back and sacked Cade Klubnik. That pushed the Jets back into their own territory and they had to settle for a 59-yard field goal, which Cade York missed to end the first half.
"A lot of people consider me just a special teams guy, and I'm OK with that," said Bruener, son of former Steelers tight end and current scout Mark. "I mean, I'm living out my childhood dream, playing in the NFL, making plays."
But he's not totally OK with just that. He was productive on defense in the Big Ten at Washington, and set out this offseason to bulk up so he can better his chances at the NFL level.
Bruener, who's listed at 227 pounds on the official roster, added about 8 pounds through a rigorous workout regimen with one of his college strength coaches, AJ Middleton. He's right around 235 now and hitting new personal bests in the weight room. That's how you put a running back on skates with a bull rush.
"Absolutely — sometimes if you're a little lighter, you can drive them back a few yards, and then they'll anchor," Bruener said. "But that one, I was able to keep going straight to the quarterback."
More work for Johnson
Running back Kaleb Johnson's 12 touches were his most since the second preseason game last year, and were a sight for eager eyes after he played just 5 offensive snaps last week.
Johnson's most productive play came on a 9-yard reception out of the backfield, while he also had a 9-yard run that was negated by a holding call. It was tough sledding for most of his night, but Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged that he wanted to give Johnson more of a chance to showcase what he can do.
"I thought he did a nice job between the tackles. I thought he bounced the ball [outside], was able to get him to the perimeter a few times," McCarthy said. "It was a conscious effort to give him more opportunities."
For his part, Johnson believes he can do more. He's not losing the mentality that the sky is the limit, and he wants to be more reliable, whether that's as a physical runner with the ball or in pass protection.
Processing the game quicker has been a goal of his, so that he can play faster. Learning a new playbook in his second season is part of that mental growth, too.
"Pre-snap is really a big thing for me," Johnson said. "I'm just taking full responsibility for that and giving 110% every day."
Corrections to make
With twice as many bites at the apple on punt returns as he had a week ago, rookie Kaden Wetjen had his ups and downs with the ball in his hands. He was shifty and showed a knack for turning the corner, but he also was close to losing a fumble on a funky strip that was almost a horse-collar tackle, and had another return on which he didn't field the punt cleanly.
To his credit, Wetjen didn't try to elude anyone postgame. He took ownership of what he needs to improve if he's going to have the job he was drafted to perform each week.
"Obviously, ball security, that's one of the main things I need to focus on for sure," Wetjen said. "But it was nice to get more opportunities in the punt game. … There's still a lot to work on, we still got some penalties, so we've got a bunch of stuff to clean up as a unit."
Wetjen heard right away from coaches and teammates, but they weren't just letting him know the importance of protecting the ball. He's well aware of that.
More to the point, he was thankful that there was supportive and constructive criticism, as well.
"It's good to know they're not just leaving me out there doing the wrong thing," Wetjen said. "I'm glad they gave me feedback."
Competition on offensive line is far from over
Clearly, the Steelers' starting five up front is not set in stone just yet.
McCarthy rolled out several configurations, initially going with the usual lineup of Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick, Zach Frazier, Spencer Anderson and Dylan Cook, from left to right. But on the second possession, Brock Hoffman and Broderick Jones replaced Anderson and Cook, respectively.
On the Steelers' third drive, Anderson and Cook rotated back in on the right side. On the fourth, Cook and Hoffman were at left tackle and left guard, while Ryan McCollum played center, and Anderson lined up on the interior next to Jones.
"We're just trying to max it out, get as many reps as we can with the different combinations," McCarthy said. "Ideally, you like to let players lock into the right side, left side. I think it's harder when you make a guy swing from right tackle to left tackle. If he's an inside player that can also play outside, it's advantageous to keep him left side or right side. Those are the considerations we're having."
Perhaps first-round pick Max Iheanachor even remains a consideration, depending on when he's back to full health. He has missed the first two preseason games, but as long as there's a window open, he could have time to get his quick feet in the door.
Howard's roller-coaster ride
Just before 7 p.m., Will Howard got to make the run out of the tunnel under the Acrisure Stadium scoreboard as the offensive starters were introduced. He received a loud ovation from the crowd as the final Steelers player announced.
Not long after, he made his way to midfield as one of the game-day captains for the coin toss. It had to feel somewhat surreal, but Howard was in no mood to compartmentalize and discuss the experience postgame. He holds himself to too high a standard, and he had just been on the losing end of a game for the first time since Nov. 30, 2024, tossing 2 interceptions in the process.
"I play quarterback in the NFL; you're going to throw interceptions. I played quarterback my whole life. I've thrown a lot of interceptions. It comes with the game," Howard said. "I feel like I've been through enough and seen enough that getting down after one pick isn't going to help anything. It's all about how you come back. Obviously, you don't want to have a second one. You've got to come back after that."
The Catch-22 is that preseason doesn't always give you that chance. Howard wasn't in position to rebound from his disappointing first half because the plan called for Drew Allar to play the second half.
Howard added that he looked forward to watching the film to build off of the positives and try to eliminate the negatives. Never get too high on the highs or low on the lows is good advice for anyone, but particularly when all eyes are on you as the starting quarterback.
