Too Hard on Will Howard

People have lost their minds. Listen to radio hosts/podcasts/etc. There is panic and overreaction everywhere.

Review the game. Howard had two really bad passes resulting in int. He had another floater that was ill advised. He had a couple good throws!

Yes his rating sucked because of his INTs. One INT was a bait scenario. The vets took advantage of the rookie and baited him in. The 2nd int was because he forced the ball to a covered WR bad read.

Yes Will has to be better. He knows this and said it aloud. He has a good attitude and a head on his shoulders. Does this performance from really a rookie in his second game mean he's beyond hope and sucks entirely? No.

As for Drew Allar, the guy was moving well in the pocket that was constantly collapsing around him looking downfield throwing accurate balls under pressure. The WRs weren't getting open and when they did they'd drop the pass.

I get a kick out of the panic mode. People in podcast and media positions.

There is a process where QBs should sit and learn from their predecessors. Rogers had 3 years. Love had a couple before taking over for him.

I think everyone can relax a bit and not overreact. I'm neither a Will Howard or Drew Allar fan boy BTW. I am a Steeler fan that understands that most QBs in college will fail in the pros. There is a process that should be followed in developing young QBs.

Not everyone is a Ben Roethlisberger that balls out as a rookie. Although I will say he had elite support surrounding him. Ben's story would have most certainly been different without all pro people and players surrounding him imo.

 

The O line was so bad it's impossible to evaluate the QB's

 

Howard's performance was disappointing but certainly not a train wreck. This was his first time facing a starting NFL defense and it didn't go well but he did do some positive things. Roman Wilson running horrific routes on his two interceptions certainly didn't help.

 

howard hit the shorter receiver a couple of times when past him was an open receiver. allar didn't look much better and some of his passes were all over the place. yes they had a couple of drops but ball placement has to be better as well. both still works in progress.

o-line. i'm really starting to think we go with cook at LT, mccormick, fraizer, dunker, max. then move on. i know fautanu didn't play much but cook looks so much better on the left side. not that he looked bad on the right last night but the comfort level just looks different. the guy is a keeper though. jones has to go. driscoll is not a LT. not sure spencer anderson is the answer at RG. always a step too late in the run game.

 

Panic? Nah. Reality for a few fans. Young QBs playing against vanilla defenses. It will only get tougher if they are asked to play in a real game. Both need more time with the "QB guru".

 

This is what I saw, especially on his first pick. It appeared to me R. Wilson didn’t know where he was, even after the pick. I don’t think he sees the field much when Rodger’s is under center. He has nothing between the ears.

 

Howard's and Allar's performances were to be expected given their level of experience playing NFL football. I am not shocked nor am I anywhere close to giving up on either.

However, it's pretty clear that neither of them is really ready for prime time in this league. Just a couple days ago, some of y'all were ready to ship out Rudolph (even read that some of you thought we should dump Rodgers, too) because the young bucks were doing so well. The Jets game brought a needed dose of reality.

Priority right now has to be getting the O-line fixed. I'd put Troy F back on the right side and Cook back on the left until Ileanchor is ready to go. And I have seen enough of Broderick Jones. At this point, I'd trade him for a warm 6-pack of IC.

 

I also don't see the "weak arm" thing with Howard. People act as if he can't get it downfield and that simply isn't the case. He may not have a rocket arm to fling it 60 yards but he has no problem zipping the ball 25-30 yards.

 

I would like to see them give Allar the start in the next game against the Bills.

 

I think it's too late to be trying that by moving Troy F back now too much musical chairs on the OL.

 

I'm a little frustrated we are having issues at tackle when we drafted 3 years in row now in the 1st round, all of which i touted as something we should do to rebuild the trenches.

Like others said, really nothing can be evaluated until this is fixed. What sucks is on paper anyways it looks like they drafted well. This makes me look at the coach.

 

The weak arm is a thing on sideline outs for 6-7 yards. Those things have to be zipped in there. Ben and AB made a living of them. With Howard, there is elevated risk of interception or incomplete. That is probably the main reason he dropped to sixth round. His touch passes 25-30 yards are fine. He essentially is a taller Duck. If he were to be successful, the offensive plan would have to include a lot of roll outs by the QB with run options, so he doesnt have to throw far to the sidelines. Howard seems to process information quicker than Allar, who has a stronger arm but tends to miss easy throws. Personally I think, there was a big overreaction to the positive after the first game and there is an overreaction to the negative after the jets game.

 

I really hope they do this to properly evaluate. I do think no matter what they do, they need Allar to sit at least 1 year.

I'm not ready to throw Will out. If he was doodling on his social media account not giving a hoot I'd think different. He's got a head on his shoulders and a good attitude. I think he realizes what happened can't continue to happen if he wants to play in this league.

I will say if his performance is lackluster, try for a practice squad. I'm not adverse to drafting another QB next year at the most important position.

 

Howard bought himself a practice squad slot.

Allar needs to start against the Bills Thursday night with some non scrubs lining up with him.

Did anyone see when Howard was sitting with Rodgers and Rudolph and they were ignoring him as he was talking to them?

 

Time to Say Goodbye to Steelers' Will Howard


Time to Say Goodbye to Steelers' Will Howard
Instead of making a statement, Will Howard may have played himself out a job with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jacob Punturi

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers gave second-year quarterback Will Howard the golden opportunity he's been waiting for. In the team's second preseason game against the New York Jets, Howard started and worked with the first-team offense. The hope was that he would prove he was ready to leapfrog Mason Rudolph and assume backup duty responsibilites.

That's not quite how things turned out for the Steelers' 2025 sixth-round draft pick. The crowd at Acrisure Stadium provided a hero's welcome, but the on-field performance didn't live up to the hype.

Instead, Howard may have played himself out a job in Pittsburgh.

Howard's Chances With Steelers Hit Rock-Bottom
Credit to the young quarterback, who called out his own disappointing performance after the team's 17-0 loss to the Jets.

"Things to learn from. Just the performance wasn't up to par," he said. "It's a shame because those were both good drives and I thought we were moving the ball really well. And one of the first things we talk about is protecting the football... Just gotta be better and learn from it."

Howard has never lacked intelligence or the professionalism that many covet for the starting quarterback position. If only that were the determining factor in making the Steelers' 53-man roster, but the on-field performance speaks for itself. He finished the game 10-of-15 passing, throwing two interceptions. One was a characteristic turnover from a young quarterback who failed to read the defense correctly.

The second one is up for debate regarding who is responsible, but the fact remains that he failed to lead any touchdown drives in a start he absolutely needed to deliver. As a result, his chances of making the roster have hit rock bottom.

Can Howard Salvage a Roster Spot?
The Steelers have been toying with the potential of keeping four quarterbacks on the roster.

That possibility and line of thinking have likely ended after the second preseason game. It's not all Howard's fault, and he was far from the only player who struggled. The problem is that no one was under more pressure to perform well.

Howard wasn't able to seal the deal, and he might be looking for a new NFL franchise. There is, however, a small chance that he can redeem himself in the preseason finale.

The team will likely play both youngsters against the Buffalo Bills, much like they did against the Jets. If Howard is given the chance to start again, he can salvage his chances in Pittsburgh. He'd have to be picture-perfect, but it would be his last chance to continue playing for the Steelers.

 

Howards and Allars performance doesnt matter all that much. Howard is not in the future plans for starting QB, at best he auditioning for a backup role, which may not even be with the Steelers. Allar is only in his second preseason game so its way to early judge.

 

the first one was a mistake. (jones). fautanu and max should be OK. they are incomplete as of now. fautanu as a LT so far. remember he lost his first year as well. now max being injured. the coaches can't do anything about injuries plus cook coming along has something to do with coaching too.

 

But he won a championship at Ohio State he has to be good.

 

They should make the OL wear cheerleader uniforms after that performance.

 

That 2nd Int was a classic example of a weak arm. Not saying he can't be good, but He has to come to the realization that there are throws he can't try in the NFL

 

Howard pulled a Kenny Pickett if he steps up in the pocket Muth was open for a big play.

 

No . Pickett would have done a pirouette into him. LoL
Yeah Howard could have stepped left, or up.
I did say that stepping up in the pocket has become a lost art form for most Qbs today. They either want to spin left , or right, and take off, and most of the time when they step up , its to run. Not all ,but many