Pittsburgh Steelers running back Max Hurleman (84) and quarterback Drew Allar (16) celebrate Allar’s touchdown run in the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike McCarthy loves playing the role of teacher during what he calls “Quarterback School,” shorthand for his highly detailed process of teaching young signal callers the finer points of their position.
The first-year Pittsburgh Steelers coach’s latest pupils are proving to be quick studies.
Rookie Drew Allar threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another and Will Howard directed a long scoring drive of his own as the Steelers breezed past the Green Bay Packers 28-9 on Thursday night.
Allar, a third-round pick from Penn State, was 10 of 13 for 154 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Wetjen and a 4-yard flip to Riley Nowkowski. The 22-year-old Allar, who entered to chants of “Drewwww,” also sprinted into the end zone for a 3-yard score as the Steelers made McCarthy’s debut leading his hometown team a successful one.
“I thought they were very poised,” McCarthy said. “I said I like the way (the quarterbacks) played, especially the young guys.”
Howard, a sixth-round pick last year who hadn’t played since leading Ohio State to the 2025 College Football Playoff championship, was 7 of 9 passing for 86 yards and looked comfortable directing the 2-minute offense that ended with a 1-yard touchdown dive by Lew Nichols.
The Steelers outgained Green Bay 385-160, and collected yardage in huge chunks at times on plays that had receivers running wide open against a vanilla defense more focused on fundamentals than elaborate schemes for a game that didn’t count.
“I think it really shows how QB-friendly this system can be,” Howard said. “When we execute the way that we want like all of us, I feel like, did tonight, we can be a really, really fun offense.”
Pittsburgh star Aaron Rodgers, who said this week he doesn’t think he needs to play during his 22nd and final training camp, caught up with Love and other Green Bay players and staff and then watched from the sideline with a headset on as his last NFL team faced his first.
The 42-year-old’s spot atop the depth chart is secure. What happens behind him is anyone’s guess as Howard, Allar and veteran Mason Rudolph compete for the right to still have a job when rosters are trimmed to 53 on Aug. 30.
Rudolph started and completed 10 of 11 passes for 93 yards and put together a long drive that ended with Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth tackled at the Green Bay 1 on fourth down.
Love does fine in cameo
Green Bay starter Jordan Love was 3 of 5 passing during one series of work while leading the Packers on an opening drive that ended with the first of rookie Trey Smack’s three field goals. Love wasn’t hit during his brief appearance, a welcome development after he injured his left (non-throwing) hand against the New York Jets during the preseason last year.
Smack talk
Packers coach Matt Lafleur praised the performance of Smack, whom Green Bay traded up in the sixth round to pick in this year’s draft.
Smack made kicks of 58, 38 and 37 yards and drilled another 58-yarder that didn’t count when Green Bay opted to take a personal foul penalty against the Steelers to extend a drive that later ended with Smack converting a shorter field goal.
“Really, really strong first performance,” Lafleur said. “Now he’s got to stack it.”
Smack, who said he connected with former Packers kicker Ryan Longwell recently to gain some tips on how to kick in Green Bay, shrugged off his play at Acrisure Stadium, which isn’t typically friendly to kickers.
“Every kick’s kind of the same,” he said. “I try to hit the ball the best I can. I hit that 38-yarder, I don’t know how far it was, and the deeper one, I kind of treated it as the same.”
Big names take the night off
McCarthy stressed the biggest goal of the season was to emerge from it healthy. To that end, many of the club’s bold-faced names joined Rodgers in sweats. Longtime Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward, outside linebacker T.J. Watt, wide receivers DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman and running backs Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle also had the night off.
Flag day
The game had all the trappings of a preseason opener, including some sloppy play on both sides. Pittsburgh was flagged 11 times for 135 yards while the Packers were penalized nine times for 76 yards.
Injuries
Packers: Backup tackle Darian Kinnard exited in the third quarter. … Defensive tackle Anthony Campbell left late in the third quarter with a significant limp.
Steelers: Reserve cornerback D’Shawn Jamison left in the first quarter
Up next
Packers: Visit the Denver Broncos on Aug. 21.
Steelers: Host the New York Jets on Aug. 21.
