Steelers winners, losers vs Bills: QBs Will Howard and Drew Allar fail to impress

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason is in the books after a 28-27 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, Aug. 27 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

Young players and fringe roster hopefuls saw most of the action. Coach Mike McCarthy chose to rest most of his starters and top depth players with the goal of staying healthy ahead of a Week 1 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13 back home at Acrisure Stadium. 

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Nevertheless, the game carried some intrigue for the team’s depth. Here’s a look at the evening’s winners and losers:

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Winners

Kaden Wetjen

The rookie receiver had not flashed the return skills that the Steelers drafted him in the fourth round for back in April. That was, until the fourth quarter of this one. The Iowa product took a punt back 44 yards for a touchdown that put his team ahead, 27-17. He broke multiple tackles on the play to show why he averaged nearly 30 yards per punt return during his final season with the Hawkeyes. The explosive play was badly needed to solidify his spot on the 53-man roster come cut-down day this weekend. His passing game contributions were limited at Iowa, so expectations for him are low in that realm. This is where the Steelers need him to shine, and he came through in a big way. 

Eli Heidenreich

The Pittsburgh-area native and Navy product carried nine times for 35 yards and a touchdown in the loss. He capped the first drive of the second half with a 9-yard scamper for his score. Heidenreich was another player drafted with an eye toward special teams contributions, but roster spots are limited behind Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle at running back. He’s needed to show the coaching staff that he can be relied upon for solid carries, and this game was a step in that direction as he competes with names like Lew Nichols, Travis Homer and Kaleb Johnson. At the very least, it was a cool moment to see him score for the team he grew up watching after he was embraced by fans on stage at the NFL draft, which was held in Pittsburgh this year. 

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Publish date : 2026-08-28 03:46:00

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