Issues to study from: Quarterback Will Howard began the primary sport of his younger NFL profession on Friday night time in opposition to the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium, and he’s the primary one to confess he desires to make enhancements in his subsequent outing.
However that’s what the preseason is all about.
Howard, the second-year quarterback, accomplished 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards, and threw two interceptions.
“Each of them had been unlucky,” mentioned Howard of the interceptions. “Simply cannot occur. Operating a shallow cross, sort of drifted somewhat bit. The security jumped it. Simply acquired to see in entrance of that.
“There’s different little issues on the play. Perhaps if we get a greater choose for the rail route, perhaps we are able to throw that early.
“That second one simply acquired undercut. Simply acquired to place it out in entrance of him.
“Issues to study from. Simply efficiency wasn’t as much as par. Clearly simply the little particulars. It is a disgrace as a result of these had been each good drives. I felt like we had been transferring the ball rather well. Simply one of many first issues we speak about is defending the soccer. Simply acquired to be higher and study from it.”
Whereas Howard mentioned his sport wasn’t ‘as much as par,’ there have been positives to return from his first begin, and his second ever NFL sport.
“I felt actually snug within the pocket,” mentioned Howard. “I felt like I used to be going by my progressions properly, particularly early first and second down. Felt good about how I performed.
“However these two turnovers actually make it bitter. It is a disgrace as a result of, like I mentioned, we had been driving the ball, within the purple zone the one time, sort of within the gold zone the opposite one. Making progress, getting the ball down there. We simply acquired to have the ability to end.
“I felt like there have been some good issues on the market, however clearly in case you do not win the sport, you flip the ball over, that is unacceptable.
“Simply must study from it and be higher subsequent week.”
The Steelers tackle the Buffalo Payments on Thursday night time to shut out the preseason, and Howard goes to take what he realized from the final two weeks to enhance.
“There is a ton of performs on the market that had been constructive,” mentioned Howard. “The third down, Ben (Skowronek) getting open on that dig route, that was nice. A few these early throws to Roman (Wilson). I felt actually snug again there, particularly on the transfer.
“The bare sport was good for us. I felt like we sort of began to get the run sport going as that second quarter actually began going.
“A sport like this, I really feel prefer it’s arduous to have a look at the positives. There’s all the time positives. The problems are all the time there. Points had been there final week, however we received.
“It does not matter in case you win, in case you lose, you have to come out of it with a development mindset. Whenever you lose, flip the ball over twice, it positively makes it really feel somewhat larger.
“Simply acquired to scrub it up.”