5 Winners, 4 Losers From Steelers Loss to Jets

After blowing out the Green Bay Packers in the first game of the preseason by a score of 28-9, the Pittsburgh Steelers were on the other side of a beatdown this time around.

The New York Jets walked into Acrisure Stadium and dominated the Steelers at every turn, resulting in a shutout 17-0 loss for the latter. Pittsburgh cleaned up the penalties after they were a major issue vs. Green Bay, but the offensive line floundered once again while the unit as a whole went 5-of-16 on third downs.

With that, here are five winners and six losers from the contest for the Steelers.

Loser: Will Howard

Regardless of if he is a 53-man roster lock or not, Howard did himself zero favors against the Jets.

The 24-year-old had some flashes, including a 16-yard strike to Ben Skowronek for a first down in New York territory, but he followed it up a few plays later with his first of two interceptions on the night.

Howard's lack of standout arm strength was evident on both of his picks, and overall it was a game to forget for the former sixth-round pick as his hopes of winning the backup quarterback job over Mason Rudolph seem all but dashed.

Oct 12, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Carson Bruener (44) takes the field to play the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Winner: Carson Bruener

Bruener is a key component of Pittsburgh's special teams units, but he appears to be making some strides on the defensive side of the ball as well.

The inside linebacker logged just one defensive snap as a rookie last season. After logging a pass breakup and a sack on back-to-back plays during the Jets' final drive of the first half, however, Bruener is starting to prove that he can hold his own on that side of the ball.

Loser: Broderick Jones

Jones had a real rough go of it against New York. Whether it was David Bailey crushing him for a sack on 3rd-and-9 with a little under five minutes to go in the first quarter or Nate Lynn logging a sack of his own on him in the fourth quarter, the 2023 first-rounder's struggles were on full display as he took on another heavy workload.

It was never going to be pretty for Jones while building back his strength after suffering a significant neck injury last November that required spinal fusion surgery.

That doesn't excuse his poor play, though, and there have to be some serious questions about his viability moving forward.

Nov 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer (33) in a action against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Winner: Jack Sawyer

Compared to most of his Steelers teammates, Sawyer has little to play for in the preseason when it comes to securing a larger role, considering he's set as the team's No. 4 EDGE rusher.

Still, Sawyer went out there and made his presence known with some impressive stops against the run all while registering a sack of Cade Klubnik at the end of the first half.

Loser: Kaden Wetjen

Though the Jets failed to gain possession on the sideline, Wetjen's fumble on a kick return during the closing seconds of the first quarter was simply inexcusable.

The fourth-round rookie also didn't have a single target or catch at wide receiver a week after posting 79 yards and a touchdown, putting him in somewhat of a treacherous spot leading into the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills.

McCarthy made it a point to challenge Wetjen while talking to the media this week by stating, "We've got to get him to clean up his everyday stuff, the mental errors," but the Iowa product didn't rise to the challenge vs. New York.

Winner: Rayshawn Jenkins

Jenkins played like he knew his chances of cracking Pittsburgh's 53-man roster were on the line.

The 32-year-old, who's entering the 10th season of his career, was all over the field and caused a ton of pressure while being utilized as a blitzer by defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

From forcing an intentional grounding call on Klubnik to finishing with two quarterback hits and making plays against the run, Jenkins' stock is pointing upwards.

Loser: Jack Driscoll

Driscoll, in all likelihood, was never going to make the Steelers' 53-man roster.

For a veteran with 18 starts and nearly 1,500 offensive snaps under his belt, however, he looked surprisingly unpolished as he gave up a sack and generally was beat far too often in pass protection throughout the contest.

A practice squad candidate who wasn't exactly stout vs. Green Bay either, Driscoll has been a disappointment so far this preseason.

Winner: Elandon Roberts

After signing a one-year deal last week to return to Pittsburgh following a one-year stopover with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he played for Graham, Roberts reminded everyone why he has the potential to be such a force in the middle of the defense.

The 32-year-old single-handedly wrecked New York's initial offensive series of the second half, showing off his recognition skills against the run before clicking and closing into the flats to stop the Jets one yard short of a first down on 4th-and-3.

The fact that he remained on the field through the fourth quarter was surprising to say the least, but Roberts made the most of the opportunity.

Winner: Robert Spears-Jennings

Not only did Spears-Jennings force an incompletion with a big hit on Jets running back Sam Scott halfway through the third quarter, but he also drew a block in the back penalty while serving as a gunner on Pittsburgh's punt team.

The seventh-round rookie was one of the stories of training camp for the Steelers, and that's carried over to the preseason thus far.

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