Slaughter Punches Ball Out

by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published August 14, 2026, 12:49 PM

Steelers 28, Packers 9: Quarterbacks Own the Night

Pittsburgh, PA – There’s a reason NFL teams need an entire staff to evaluate a game. Two eyes can’t watch all 22 players in the moment.

So, this isn’t meant to be everything that happened in Pittsburgh’s 28-9 preseason win over Green Bay. These are the players our eyes kept looking for because we specifically wanted to watch them, others because their play demanded our attention.

More importantly, these are the performances, personnel decisions and little moments we wanted to share with our readers.

Some strengthened their case. Others raised more questions. And a few made it nearly impossible not to notice them.

Steelers by the Numbers

• Points: 28
• Points Allowed: 9
• Passing Yards: 322
• Rushing Yards: 72
• Sacks: 5

1) Steelers Quarterbacks Go Bananas

If the goal of preseason football is to create difficult decisions, Pittsburgh’s quarterback room did its part against Green Bay.

Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar combined to complete 27 of 33 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers’ 28-9 win. Collectively, that’s an 81.8% completion rate, with Allar supplying both touchdown passes.

• Mason Rudolph: 10-of-11, 93 yards, 101.9 passer rating
• Will Howard: 7-of-9, 86 yards, 106.5 passer rating
• Drew Allar: 10-of-13, 153 yards, 2 TD, 154.8 passer rating

There was plenty beyond the box score, however. Personnel usage told its own story, several roster-bubble players received extended auditions, and a handful of young Steelers made sure their names survived another week.

2) No. 16 Drew Allar – Better Under the Lights

Allar’s first completion went 74 yards to Kaden Wetjen, with Wetjen doing most of the damage after the catch. It immediately settled the rookie into the game.

What stood out afterward was Allar’s demeanor. He looked calm under center, quickly turned toward Mike McCarthy for the next call and operated without appearing rushed. Most noticeable was the velocity on his throws. That hasn’t always shown up consistently during training camp, but it certainly did against Green Bay.

Allar also showed the athletic element Pittsburgh saw throughout his Penn State career. After a potential touchdown was dropped from the three-yard line, he followed with a quarterback sneak and attacked the goal line without hesitation.

Then came the payoff through the air. Allar found Wetjen for a touchdown after the receiver used a subtle stutter off the line, worked to the defender’s outside shoulder and created enough separation for Allar to finish it.

If Allar looks better when the scoreboard is turned on than he does during portions of practice, Pittsburgh will gladly accept the trade-off.

Allar by the Numbers

• Attempts:
• Completions: 13
• Passing Yards: 153
• Touchdowns: 2
• Passer Rating: 154.8

3) No. 18 Will Howard – Runs Two-Minute Drill to Perfection

The crowd noticeably came alive when Howard entered with 10:14 remaining in the second quarter, and the young quarterback gave them something to watch.

His best work came with 1:57 remaining before halftime. Pittsburgh put Howard into the two-minute environment, and he responded with poise. An underneath completion to Robert “Bobby” Tonyan generated a big gain before Howard went right back to Tonyan with a beautifully placed throw near the goal line. Initially ruled a touchdown, replay placed Tonyan just short.

“Just to be able to have an opportunity to work that two-minute drive at the end of the half is huge because we’ve been drilling that,” Howard said after the game. “I mean, really since day one of camp, and we did it so much in OTAs, and then now I mean, I think we’ve done two-minute every single day of camp, and I’ve gotten a ton of reps of it, and it’s really paid off.”

Lew Nichols III finished the drive from there.

Howard did have one throw in the third quarter he’ll want back an off-platform, back-foot attempt that introduced unnecessary risk. Those are the decisions young quarterbacks have to eliminate.

Still, it was a blemish rather than the story of his night.

Howard by the Numbers

• Attempts: 7
• Completions: 9
• Passing Yards: 86
• Touchdowns: 0
• Passer Rating: 106.5

4) No. 17 Germie Bernard – Efficient Night for the Rookie

Bernard continues to look comfortable when opportunities come his way.

The rookie receiver was targeted five times and caught four passes for 51 yards, including a long reception of 25. There wasn’t much wasted movement to his evening. He found space, presented quarterbacks with a clean target and converted four of his five opportunities.

For a rookie trying to carve out an immediate role in a veteran offense, reliability carries weight. Bernard provided it against Green Bay.

Bernard by the Numbers

• Targets: 5
• Receptions: 4
• Receiving Yard: 51
• Touchdowns: 0
• Long: 25 yards

5) No. 94 Yahya Black – Green Bay Couldn’t Handle Him

Some defensive performances require a second viewing to appreciate exactly how disruptive a player was.

No. 94 didn’t need one.

Green Bay began devoting extra bodies to him, and on certain snaps it bordered on ridiculous. Two offensive linemen would engage him with a running back providing additional help.

That’s three bodies accounting for one defender.

It didn’t always work.

On one snap, No. 94 exploded into Jager Burton (6’4 332), knocked the offensive lineman back on his heels and nearly reached the quarterback. On the very next play, he was in the backfield creating chaos again, coming within a step of producing a tackle for loss.

Forget whether the box score rewarded him.

When an offense begins changing its protection and dedicating multiple blockers to keeping one defender away from the football, the tape is already telling you who won.

One tackle clearly doesn’t reveal the presence of big 94 playing interior defense for Pittsburgh. If his stamina can handle a heavy workload, there is a tremendous amount of upside in his game.

Black by the Numbers

• Tackles: 1

6) No. 77 Broderick Jones – One Rep He’ll Want Back

Jones surrendered a bad loss on the edge that resulted in Howard being sacked for a two-yard loss.

The issue wasn’t complicated: Jones was beaten cleanly enough that Howard had little opportunity to escape the pressure.

For an offensive lineman whose summer carries considerable importance, those isolated losses are the snaps Pittsburgh will scrutinize on film.

Late into the fourth quarter Jones was on the field. Not the ideal look for a former first-round pick.

Fourth-and-Goal – McCarthy Stays Aggressive

Mike McCarthy showed no hesitation when Pittsburgh faced fourth-and-goal.

Rather than take the points, the Steelers kept the offense on the field and Rudolph looked for Pat Freiermuth in the end zone. The pass fell incomplete.

The result didn’t work.

The mentality was still worth filing away.

Preseason provides coaches the freedom to test players, concepts and situations without worrying about tomorrow’s standings. McCarthy used the opportunity.

7) No. 35 Lew Nichols III – Keeps Making His Case

Nichols has quietly refused to disappear from Pittsburgh’s running-back competition.

He led all Steelers running backs with 10 carries for 36 yards and scored a touchdown. His first apparent score was erased when left tackle Troy Fautanu was flagged for holding. Nichols had already dropped to a knee in celebration before realizing the yellow flag had taken the points away.

He didn’t have to wait long for another opportunity.

After Howard’s completion to Tonyan was overturned and the ball was placed near the goal line, Pittsburgh went right back to No. 35. Nichols finished the job.

There might be bigger names in the backfield, but preseason football is built for players such as Nichols. Give him carries and he continues to make the roster conversation more interesting.

Nichols III by the Numbers

• Carries: 10
• Rushing Yards: 36
• Touchdowns: 1
• Receptions: 1
• Yards: -1

8) No. 19 Doneiko Slaughter – Pittsburgh Gave Him a Full Audition

Forget one series. Pittsburgh wanted to see Slaughter everywhere.

The rookie opened the game on defense and special teams, remained on the field when Pittsburgh’s defense returned for its third series and later appeared as a gunner in the third quarter.

That’s meaningful preseason usage.

Slaughter delivered a physical hit that helped force an incompletion and generally played with the aggressive temperament that has made him interesting throughout the summer.

There was also a costly mistake. Robert Spears-Jennings produced a terrific tackle for loss with 11:20 remaining in the second quarter, only for a Slaughter personal foul to wipe away the impact of the play.

For a player battling for the bottom of the 53, those penalties matter. So does the amount of work Pittsburgh gave him Thursday night.

The Steelers aren’t hiding Slaughter. They’re evaluating the hell out of him.

Slaughter by the Numbers

• Tackles: 3

9) No. 10 Kaden Wetjen – One Touch Can Change a Preseason Game

Wetjen provided Pittsburgh with one of its biggest offensive explosions.

Allar’s first completion became a 74-yard gain to Wetjen, who caught the football and turned the play into a track meet, producing roughly 70 yards after the catch before being hauled down near the Packers’ three-yard line.

“Yeah, I mean, it felt good,” Drew Allar said about connecting with his fellow rookie wideout. “I think Kaden on the first throw in particular, Kaden did a great job of separating versus man coverage, and that’s what you know you need from those guys. He did a great job of obviously got it back later of getting him in the end zone, but he did a great job of you know making a play after the catch as well.”

The rookie wasn’t finished.

Later, Wetjen used a small stutter at the line of scrimmage, attacked the defensive back’s outside shoulder and created the window Allar needed for a touchdown.

Wetjen’s special-teams value already makes him intriguing. Showing he can manufacture explosive offensive plays gives Pittsburgh another reason to find a roster spot for him.

Wetjen by the Numbers

• Targets: 2
• Receptions: 2
• Receiving Yards: 79
• Touchdowns: 1
• Long: 74 yards

10) No. 50 Jamin Davis Flashes

Jamin Davis and Jack Sawyer combined for a sack, with both defenders closing on the quarterback and finishing the play.

Davis later added another sack during the fourth quarter.

The former Washington first-round pick was a late addition to Pittsburgh’s roster and remains a difficult numbers-game projection, but two appearances around the quarterback certainly strengthened his preseason tape.

His career high in a season is three sacks he had two against the Packers. He led the defense in tackles (8) and made those splash plays that get you noticed.

For Davis, the path onto the roster remains narrow. At least against Green Bay, he gave Pittsburgh something worth discussing.

Davis by the Numbers

• Tackles: 8
• Sacks: 2

11) No. 20 Kaleb Johnson – The Rotation Continues to Speak

Sometimes preseason evaluation isn’t about what a player does.

It’s when he’s allowed to do it.

Johnson’s usage against Green Bay mirrored what has been visible throughout training camp. Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle were held out, yet Pittsburgh still worked through other backs before turning extensively toward Johnson.

That matters.

The former third-round pick entered the summer needing to rebound from a difficult rookie season, but his position within the preseason rotation suggests he’s fighting uphill for a spot on the final 53.

At this point, the depth chart isn’t merely written on paper.

The reps are saying it for Pittsburgh.

Johnson by the Numbers

• Carries: 2
• Rushing Yards: 3
• Touchdowns: 0

12) No. 21 Travis Homer – Special Teams Could Be His Ticket

Homer’s night reinforced why his roster candidacy can’t be evaluated strictly through rushing attempts.

He started at running back with Warren and Dowdle sitting, but his greater value remains the number of ways Pittsburgh can deploy him on special teams.

For players living around the final few roster spots, versatility becomes currency. Homer owns plenty of it.

Warren and Dowdle watching from the sideline tells us something about their security. Homer starting while simultaneously carrying established special-teams value might be telling us something, too.

Homer by the Numbers

• Carries: 4
• Rushing Yards: 8
• Touchdowns: o
• Receptions: 2
• Yards: 10

13) No. 98 Dean Lowry – Veteran Gets Extended Work

Lowry was part of Pittsburgh’s opening defensive personnel and continued receiving snaps into the third quarter.

That’s notable usage for a veteran at this stage of the preseason.

Lowry remained active through multiple defensive series and was still working long after several established players had finished their nights. Whether that’s simply Pittsburgh getting the veteran additional work or evaluating exactly where he fits within Patrick Graham’s defensive-line rotation, the snap distribution was worth noting.

Lowry by the Numbers

• No Stats

14) No. 31 Rayshawn Jenkins – Opens with the First Unit

Veteran safety Rayshawn Jenkins worked with Pittsburgh’s opening defensive group.

In preseason football, who starts doesn’t always tell the entire roster story, but personnel groupings still provide clues. Jenkins getting the opening assignment offered another indication of where the veteran currently sits within the defensive-back rotation.

Jenkins by the Numbers

• Tackles: 2

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com