"Something That Wasn't Right": Steelers' Mike McCarthy Reveals What Caused Will Howard's Costly Collapse

The Pittsburgh Steelers followed their impressive 28-9 preseason victory over the Green Bay Packers with a completely different offensive performance Friday night. Pittsburgh failed to score in a 17-0 loss to the New York Jets, and Will Howard's two interceptions became the defining mistakes.

Howard completed 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards during his first start of the preseason. There were moments when he moved the offense effectively and appeared ready to finish promising drives, but both possessions collapsed when something within the play went wrong.

Mike McCarthy was disappointed by the result, but his postgame explanation offered a more specific assessment than simply blaming Howard for two poor throws. The problem was that one issue became a second mistake because Howard failed to properly play through the disruption.

"Well, it's just one mistake leading to two, and it happened on both plays," McCarthy said. "It happened on both plays. There was something that wasn't right, and he just has to play through it. He played through it last week. He had two things happen last week, and he played right through it."

McCarthy did not publicly identify every detail that went wrong before the interceptions. His larger point was that an NFL quarterback cannot allow a broken element of the play to force an even worse decision with the football. Howard showed that ability one week earlier against Green Bay. He remained composed during adversity, finished seven of nine passes for 86 yards and directed a successful two-minute drive. That performance created momentum behind the belief that he could push Mason Rudolph for the backup job.

The Jets game demonstrated why McCarthy still needs a larger sample size. Howard's first interception came in the red zone when safety Andre Cisco stepped in front of his attempted pass. Pittsburgh had generated a scoring opportunity, but the turnover removed any chance of ending the drive with points.

Howard's second interception came on Pittsburgh's following possession. He attempted a deep throw toward Roman Wilson, but the ball was underthrown and intercepted by Samuel Womack. Another developing drive ended without points because Howard did not find a safer response when the play stopped unfolding properly. McCarthy acknowledged how differently the performance would be viewed if those two pivotal snaps had produced positive outcomes.

"Sometimes you see it, and sometimes you don't," McCarthy said. "That's a part of playing. It's a shame because I don't recall, but it was a h**l of a drive he had established. Both of those were big plays in the game. If they go the other way, then I think you're feeling a little differently about his individual performance."

That is the frustrating truth surrounding Howard's night. Two interceptions across 15 attempts cannot be excused. However, the tape also contained enough encouraging football to show that the entire performance was not hopeless.

The difference between a successful audition and a costly collapse came down to two decisions. Quarterbacks are judged by how they respond when the design breaks, a receiver runs into trouble or the defense creates an unexpected picture. Howard did not provide the correct response Friday.

Steelers Must See Howard Recover Fast

Howard's failure does not erase his development, but it does place his readiness into perspective. Pittsburgh knows Rudolph can manage an NFL offense and protect the football. Howard has not yet shown that reliability consistently enough to take the veteran's job.

McCarthy also provided a reason for optimism. Howard played through similar problems against Green Bay, meaning the necessary response has already appeared on his tape. The challenge is making that response automatic instead of allowing adversity to control the next decision.

The loss to New York could ultimately become useful for Howard if he learns from it. He now has two clear examples of how one issue can multiply into a turnover. His next opportunity must show that he can recognize the problem, protect the possession and continue playing within the offense.

Howard was closer to a respectable performance than the interceptions suggest, but closeness does not win quarterback competitions. Until he stops allowing one mistake to become two, Rudolph will remain the safer backup behind Aaron Rodgers.

Share your Steelers thoughts with me on X (@anthonyghalkias), and let me know how concerned you are about Howard's response to adversity. Follow for more Steelers coverage, quarterback analysis and roster discussion as Pittsburgh prepares for its preseason finale. 

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