Steelers’ defense gives up winning score in final minutes

NFL preseason

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Ian Wheeler scored on a 2-yard run with 1:06 left, Steve Buechele completed an off-balance pass to Dante Pettis for a 2-point conversion and the Buffalo Bills beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-27 in the preseason finale for each team Thursday night.

The Steelers' last chance to pull ahead ended with Drew Allar's pass sailing behind tight end Lake McRee on fourth-and-7 with 44 seconds remaining. It was a disappointing finish for Allar in an outing the rookie was attempting to separate himself from Will Howard in the competition for the Steelers' third-string job.

"Our young guys got to play a ton of ball tonight," Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said. "That excites me. I got to see personalities. I got to see guys step up and see interaction. That's all part of growing -- the whole roster."

In squandering a 10-point lead over the final seven minutes, the Steelers closed the preseason 1-2. Buffalo was 3-0.

"As a whole, I feel good about the body of work we were able to accomplish," McCarthy said. "Not just the quarterbacks."

With Kyle Allen appearing to have locked up the primary backup job behind Josh Allen, Buechele handled the quarterback duties in finishing 26 for 38 for 196 yards. The go-ahead score was set up by a 42-yard pass interference penalty against Tamon Lymum on Pettis that gave the Bills the ball at the 7.

After Wheeler scored on third down, the Bills elected for the 2-point conversion. Buechele was back-pedaling in the face of pressure before getting off a pass to Pettis, who was open along the left side of hte goal line.

"I'm anxious about what's in front of me," McCarthy said. "I probably won't sleep tonight. I know what tomorrow brings. You want to get it right, and it's very, very important."

Frank Gore Jr. scored on a 1-yard run for Buffalo, and receiver Skyler Bell also found the end zone on a 28-yard scamper off a reverse. Bell, a rookie fourth-round draft pick, also had seven catches for 49 yards.

I feel good about the quarterback room. I've been saying it for quite some time. I think they've shown it on the field," McCarthy added. "We have two veterans they can run with, and two young guys that we're excited about their future."

The only major concern to come out of the game was Pittsburgh special teams ace Ben Skowronek appearing to hurt his head while tackling Mecole Hardman on a kickoff return in the first half. Skowronek was escorted up the tunnel and did not return.

The outing featured mostly backups in what was regarded as the final chance for players to showcase themselves before NFL teams begin making cuts to establish their 53-player rosters by Sunday evening.

In Pittsburgh, the preseason-long question has revolved around how many quarterbacks the Steelers will keep -- especially with Aaron Rodgers already announcing this will be his final season.

"I feel good about everything I've put on tape. The biggest thing is I have a lot of great mentors -- players and coaches -- to learn from. There's a great group of veterans around me," Allar said. "I think the biggest thing is I feel confident with the offense, in terms of how I operate it. The coaches do a great job preparing us for these games. I know it's not like that everywhere where you get the gameplan last minute."

Rodgers wasn't spotted on the sideline, and with primary backup Mason Rudolph watching from the bench, Howard and Allar finished with mixed results against Buffalo.

"It was loud on that two-minute drive. I don't know how many fans they had. It was a lot. This is a very challenging environment. That's the great part about the NFL. I don't think there is a bad place to play away from home," Allar said. "It didn't go the way we wanted it to, but I felt comfortable with the operation. As much as we want to go down and win the game, there's a lot to learn from."

Howard, a sixth-round pick in 2025, started and went 9 of 15 with two touchdowns -- both on drives starting inside Buffalo's 30 -- and an interception on seven possessions in the first half. The interception was Howard's third of the preseason, after being picked off twice against the Jets.

Howard, who was being evaluated for a possible head injury after the game, completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Germie Bernard to open the scoring, and also hit McRee for a 5-yards touchdown.

Allar finished 9 of 18 for 88 yards and oversaw one touchdown drive that was capped by Elie Heidenreich scoring on a 9-yard run to open the second half. On the drive, Allar completed three of four attempts for 34 yards -- including a 25-yarder Heidenreich.

"You just go in every week preparing like you're the starter. You never know what can happen," Allar said.

Kaden Wetjen also scored on a 45-yard punt return that put the Steelers ahead 27-17 four minutes into the fourth quarter.

Hoecht preseason debut

Bills edge rusher Michael Hoecht made his preseason debut in marking his return to competitive action some 10 months after tearing his right Achilles tendon. Hoecht's recovery is considered ahead of schedule as the sixth-year player was cleared for the start of training camp.

Hoecht signed with Buffalo in March 2025 and was expected to play a hybrid role in the defense because of his versatility in pass-rushing and pass-defending abilities. He missed the first six games of serving an NFL suspension and hurt in his second outing.

Up next

Steelers: Open regular season hosting Atlanta on Sept. 13.

Bills: Open regular season at Houston on Sept. 13.