(File Photo: Source for Photo: New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) greets teammates before an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Geno Smith’s left ankle appears to be just fine. So much so that a one-drive cameo is all the New York Jets quarterback might need to get ready for the regular season.

The veteran quarterback, reunited with the team that drafted him back in 2013, completed all seven of his passes for 65 yards, the last 13 coming on a flip to tight end Jelani Woods for a touchdown in what became a 17-0 exhibition victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night.

Smith, who sat out New York’s preseason opener to give his aching ankle a break, showed a little mobility when rushed and needed just 10 plays to take the Jets (1-1) 69 yards on their opening possession.

“It felt good to be out there with the guys,” Smith said. “Obviously we got one drive in, but we scored a touchdown. You always want to start fast, and so that was a good thing. Definitely a lot of room for improvement.”

Asked what those things might be, Smith demurred.

“I’ll keep that to myself,” said Smith, who played for the Jets from 2013 to 2016 and was acquired from Las Vegas in March.

New York coach Aaron Glenn was a little more expansive, pointing to a running game that managed just 62 yards, 16 of them coming on a scramble by rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik.

“I know (the Steelers), they pride themselves on stopping the run, but that’s not a pass for us,” Glenn said. “But we got to get better in that aspect, and we will.”

Klubnik, battling to be Smith’s backup when the season opens, completed 10 of 15 passes for 75 yards. Bailey Zappe threw for 68 yards and Brady Cook’s one completion was a 31-yard lob that Quincy Skinner cradled for a late touchdown.

The Jets defense produced pressure and turnovers

New York’s defense, a major weakness during a 3-14 slog in 2025, kept young Pittsburgh quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar in check. Jets rookie edge rusher David Bailey, the second overall pick in this year’s draft, dropped Howard for an 11-yard loss in the first quarter.

Perhaps even more promising for New York, the defense also found a way to catch the ball, something that didn’t happen at all during the regular season a year ago when the Jets became the first team since the NFL started tracking the statistic in 1933 to go an entire year without a single pick.

New York intercepted Howard twice in the first half with the Steelers (1-1) driving in New York territory. Andre Cisco stepped in front of a poor pass by Howard intended for Roman Wilson and raced 23 yards the other way. Samuel Womack made a nice grab on a ball again intended for Wilson on Pittsburgh’s next drive.

Glenn deflected when asked about feeling any sense of relief seeing a couple of passes end up in the hands of players in green and white.

“Man, there’s so much noise on the outside that it’s really good to see our guys just focus on the now,” he said. “And they’re trained to do that, and it’s hard sometimes, but I’m really proud of how our guys respond to that and continue to work.”

Young Steelers QBs come back to earth after hot debuts

Howard and Allar, given the entirety of the workload while starter Aaron Rodgers and longtime backup Mason Rudolph took the night off, failed to reproduce the fireworks that marked their impressive performances a week ago.

The duo who combined to lead four touchdown drives against the Packers failed to reach the end zone even once against the Jets.

Howard got the start and completed 10 of 15 passes for 75 yards, his most impressive moment coming on a 15-yard third-down connection with Ben Skowronek in which he stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure before finding Skowronek over the middle.

That moment, however, was overshadowed by a pair of throws that ended up in the hands of the Jets on a night the former sixth-round pick looked very much like the project that he is.

“We can’t let this trip us up going forward,” Howard said. “We have to continue to make strides. And we didn’t really make any strides tonight.”

Allar, taken in the third round this year, avoided turning the ball over but wasn’t quite as electrifying as he was last week. His best moment came on a 39-yard connection with Lake McCree in which Allar went through his progressions before floating the ball to an open McCree down the sideline. Allar finished 11 of 23 for 110 yards.

Jets newcomer Nate Lynn shines with a pair of sacks

It didn’t help either quarterback that the protection in front of them was shaky most of the night. The Steelers allowed four sacks, including two to recently signed edge rusher Nate Lynn, who spent 2024 with the Detroit when Glenn was serving as the club’s defensive coordinator.

Injuries

Jets cornerback Tre Brown was helped off the field in the second quarter, but he returned.

Up next

Jets: Host MetLife Stadium roommates the New York Giants on Aug. 28.

Steelers: Travel to Buffalo on Aug. 27.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy, right, hits a two-run home run as Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Rafael Flores Jr. watches during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Edman hit a line drive to left field off Gregory Soto (5-4), scoring automatic runner Kiké Hernández from third, keeping the Dodgers as the only undefeated team in extra innings in the majors with a 5-0 record.

With Hernández starting at second, pinch-hitter Alex Call struck out and Mookie Betts was intentionally walked. Kyle Tucker grounded into a fielder’s choice to second, where Betts was out.

Evan Phillips (1-2) got the win with one inning of relief.

The NL West-leading Dodgers have won eight of their last 11.

Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz hit a two-run homer off reliever Kyle Hurt in the eighth to make it 4-4.

Betts hit a two-run single with two outs in the third to make it 4-2.

Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed two runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts.

The Japanese right-hander was lifted after putting the tying runs aboard in the seventh. Jake Mangum had a leadoff double and Yamamoto hit Jared Triolo. Reliever Brock Stewart came on to retire the next two batters and end the inning.

Pirates reliever Luke Bachar set up the struggling Tucker for a potential Hollywood ending in the bottom of the seventh. Shohei Ohtani drew a leadoff walk and stole second. Two outs later, Bachar issued back-to-back walks to Max Muncy and Betts to load the bases and bring up Tucker. However, he flied out to center to end the threat.

Muncy’s two-run, two-out homer in the first gave the Dodgers to a 2-1 lead.

The Pirates led 1-0 on Nick Gonzales’ RBI single to center in the top of the inning. He tied the game 2-2 with an RBI single to center in the third.

Up next

Pirates RHP Jared Jones (2-5, 4.78 ERA) starts Saturday against Dodgers LHP Tarik Skubal (7-7, 2.85). Skubal is 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA since being traded to Los Angeles earlier this month.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Gene J. Puskar/AP)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Penguins recently announced that they named Marc-Andre Fleury, the late Jack McGregor, Larry Murphy and Jim Rutherford to the franchise’s Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

That class represents the second group of inductees in a three-year plan to relaunch the Penguins Hall of Fame.

Fleury played for the Penguins for thirteen seasons, (2003-2017) and his accolades include being a three-time Stanley Cup winning goalie (2009, 2016 and 2017).

Murphy played for the Penguins for five seasons, (1990-1995) and his accolades include being a two-time Stanley-Cup winning defenseman (1991 and 1992) and recording a plus-102 rating, which leads all defensemen in Penguins franchise history.

Rutherford served as the team’s executive vice president and general manager from June of 2014 to January of 2021, winning three Stanley Cups in that span (2009, 2016 and 2017.)

McGregor, who organized the original effort to bring an NHL franchise to Pittsburgh and served as the Penguins’ president from 1967 to 1970, will be inducted posthumously.

Inductees will be featured permanently in a dedicated Hall of Fame space that is located on the FedEx main concourse level at PPG Paints Arena.  

An on-ice ceremony for the Penguins Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will take place before a Penguins home game against the Ottawa Senators on November 14th.

The four remaining members that are scheduled for induction as part of the relaunch plan, Tom Barrasso, Jaromir Jagr, Chris Kunitz and the late Ray Shero, will be inducted in 2027.

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz wears a welding hood as he is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a two run home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, March 31st, 2026, in Cincinnati. (Kareem Elgazzar/Associated Press)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates have now broke a record for the most home runs that a Pirates team has ever hit at PNC Park.

PNC Park opened in 2001 and this year’s Pirates team has hit 84 home runs in Pittsburgh in 2026 as of today, which broke the previous record of 81. 

Pirates catcher Rafael Flores, Jr. hit a home run in the seventh inning of yesterday’s game against the Detroit Tigers in Pittsburgh to break this record.

The 2026 Pirates could break another home run record this year that was set by the 1999 Pirates for the most home runs a Pirates team has ever had in a single MLB regular season.

The 1999 Pirates hit 171 home runs in that season, and the 2026 Pirates have 155 home runs with 33 games left to go in their 2026 regular season.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Chicago Cubs’ Christian Bethancourt celebrates his RBI single during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Aug. 28, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Pirates traded with the New York Yankees yesterday to acquire veteran catcher Christian Bethancourt in exchange for cash considerations.

The thirty-four-year-old Bethancourt had been playing for the Triple-A affiliate of the Yankees, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Raiders.

The Pirates expect him to join them in Los Angeles when they play a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which starts tomorrow.

The Pirates also assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Bethancourt has hit .229 with 35 home runs in 427 major league games.

This move for Bethancourt comes as another Pirates catcher, Endy Rodríguez, is on the 10-day injured list with left hip inflammation.

Bethancourt has hit .270 in the minors for the Cubs and Yankees this season and also spent time in the Pirates’ farm system in 2021.  

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Brandon Lowe follows through on a walk-off solo home run off Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenley Jansen during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brandon Lowe homered off Detroit closer Kenley Jansen with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-3 victory over the Tigers on Wednesday.

Rafael Flores Jr. homered twice for Pittsburgh, including a tying shot off Jansen (3-5) with one out in the ninth. Lowe followed two batters later with a towering shot to right field that clanged high off the foul pole.

The homer was the 27th this season for Lowe, the most in club history by a second baseman. It was the 84th this year by the Pirates at PNC Park, the most at the venue since it opened in 2001.

Mason Montgomery (5-3) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth as the Pirates went 4-2 during a six-game homestand against Boston and Detroit.

Pirates ace Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Cy Young winner, allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings with four walks and five strikeouts. The towering 6-foot-6 right-hander has a 5.05 ERA over his last 16 starts dating to May 17.

The Pirates gave Skenes a full week to recover following a loss to Miami in which his fastball velocity dipped to 95 mph, well below the standard he set during the first two years of his career and a tick off from the upper-90s that had been the norm most of this season.

While Skenes did look a little fresher — he touched 98 mph and frequently was in the 96-97 range — his command remained scattershot. He threw 46 of his 81 pitches for strikes and was pulled after giving up an RBI single to Gleyber Torres with one out in the fifth.

It was the sixth time Skenes failed to pitch at least five innings this season. He had five starts of fewer than five innings pitched across his first two years in the majors combined.

Kevin McGonigle drove in two runs for the Tigers, who have lost five of six.

Up next

Tigers: Start a three-game set in Kansas City on Friday.

Pirates: Begin a nine-game road trip on Friday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

(Caption and Credit for Photo: Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster at Giants practice | Courtesy of Getty Images)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(East Rutherford, NJ) Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was released by the New York Giants as a corresponding move to the Giants signing a one-year deal yesterday with another former Steelers football player, running back Najee Harris.

Smith-Schuster was drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft at No. 62 overall.

He played for the Steelers from 2017-2021, played in two stints with the Kansas City Chiefs (2022, 2024-2025) and played for the New England Patriots in 2023.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Braxton Ashcraft allowed five hits over eight efficient innings, Oneil Cruz homered in his return from the injured list, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Ashcraft (13-5), a first-time All-Star this season, struck out four and didn’t issue a walk while throwing just 80 pitches. The 26-year-old right-hander, coming off the first complete game of his career in a win over Miami last week, gave up a fifth-inning homer to Tigers rookie Brett Callahan but otherwise cruised to his fourth win in five starts.

Ashcraft became the first Pittsburgh pitcher since A.J. Burnett in 2012 to record a complete game and then work at least eight innings in his next start.

Mason Montgomery worked the ninth for his fifth save.

Cruz, out since early June after breaking his left hand, turned on a 2-2 knuckle curve from Keider Montero (9-8) in the fifth inning and sent it 422 feet to right-center for his 15th homer of the season and his first since June 2. It was Pittsburgh’s 81st homer at PNC Park, tying the 2003 team for the most in a season at the ballpark that opened in 2001.

Spencer Horwitz and Bryan Reynolds added RBI singles for the Pirates, who have won four of six.

Detroit, in a tight race with a handful of clubs for the final AL wild-card spot, has lost four of five.

Montero was perfect through four innings but walked Esmeryln Valez on four pitches leading off the fifth before Cruz’s homer. Montero surrendered three runs on four hits in five innings.

Up next

The series concludes on Wednesday. Struggling ace Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.88 ERA), working on a week’s rest, starts for Pittsburgh against Detroit’s Jackson Jobe (1-1, 6.23).

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris (22) stands for the National Anthem before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sept. 21, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (Kyusung Gong, AP)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(East Rutherford, NJ) According to NFL Network, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris has agreed to a one-year deal to sign with the New York Giants.

Harris had a visit with the Giants yesterday and he appeared in three games for the Los Angeles Chargers last season before he suffered a torn Achilles.

Harris was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft as the No. 24 overall pick, and he recorded at least 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first four seasons with the Steelers.

(Credit for Photo: The Pirates’ Konnor Griffin runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Reds, Friday, June 26, 2026, at PNC Park, in Pittsburgh. (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette))

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortshop Konnor Griffin is making progress in his recovery from a left ring finger sagittal band that he suffered during the team’s game against the Washington Nationals in Washington D.C. on July 5th when he was making a diving catch.

The 20-year-old shortstop is not wearing a splint on his left ring finger anymore after a checkup with the Pirates’ hand specialist and orthopedic surgeon.  

According to Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, the team is “optimistic” that Griffin will be ready to return from the injured list when he is eligible on September 4th.

Griffin will soon be undergoing rehab in Bradenton, Florida, and he has been on the 60-day injured list since July 11th.