The New York Jets defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-0 in a preseason game at Acrisure Stadium, with New York's defense shutting out Pittsburgh and Geno Smith looking sharp in his first preseason appearance of the summer.
Smith played only the Jets' opening possession but completed all seven of his passes for 65 yards. He finished the 10-play, 69-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jelani Woods. Smith distributed his seven completions among six receivers before leaving the game, giving New York an encouraging performance from its starting quarterback.
Cade Klubnik took over and completed 10 of 14 passes for 75 yards while adding 16 yards on the ground. The Jets were unable to add to their lead until the fourth quarter, when Jason Sanders kicked a field goal. Brady Cook later connected with Quincy Skinner Jr. for a 31-yard touchdown that put the game away.
New York's defense played an important role throughout the night. Andre Cisco intercepted Steelers quarterback Will Howard at the Jets' 8-yard line early in the second quarter, stopping a Pittsburgh drive that had reached the red zone. Samuel Womack III later intercepted Howard for the Jets' second takeaway. Rookie edge rusher David Bailey also recorded a sack as New York consistently pressured Pittsburgh's quarterbacks.
Drew Allar completed 11 of 23 passes for 110 yards for Pittsburgh after replacing Howard. The Steelers never reached the scoreboard and were held scoreless in all four quarters. The victory moved the Jets to 1-1 in the preseason, while Pittsburgh also moved to 1-1.
The Carolina Panthers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-17 at EverBank Stadium, with Carolina's starting offense showing improvement and the Panthers getting contributions from several quarterbacks and running backs.
Bryce Young completed five of six passes for 49 yards during his brief appearance. Carolina's starters reached the end zone on their second possession when Jonathon Brooks finished a 58-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Brooks finished with 18 rushing yards and the touchdown on five carries.
The Panthers extended their lead in the second quarter after Chau Smith-Wade intercepted Jaguars quarterback Carter Bradley and returned the ball seven yards. Carolina took advantage of the short field, with Kenny Pickett connecting with Jimmy Horn Jr. for 15 yards before A.J. Dillon scored on a seven-yard run.
Ryan Fitzgerald provided another highlight just before halftime by converting a 61-yard field goal, giving Carolina a 20-6 advantage at the break. Fitzgerald also made a 48-yard field goal earlier in the quarter.
Pickett completed 15 of 25 passes for 137 yards and threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Roc Taylor in the third quarter. Kyle Trask added a 15-yard touchdown pass to Casey Washington in the fourth.
Jacksonville rested many of its regular starters, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Nick Mullens completed six of seven passes for 65 yards before leaving the game, while rookie Joey Aguilar provided one of Jacksonville's brightest performances by completing nine of 10 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. Aguilar connected with Trebor Peña for a 29-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Cam Little made field goals of 34, 34 and 43 yards for Jacksonville. The game was called with two minutes remaining because severe weather was approaching the stadium. Carolina improved to 2-1 in the preseason, while Jacksonville fell to 1-1.
The Green Bay Packers defeated the Denver Broncos 33-13 at Empower Field at Mile High, using an efficient performance from their starting offense and four field goals from Trey Smack to pull away from Denver.
Jordan Love led Green Bay on a 12-play, 63-yard touchdown drive during his only possession. Love completed five of seven passes for 56 yards and capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to running back MarShawn Lloyd.
Denver quarterback Bo Nix answered with an encouraging performance in his first game action since breaking his right ankle during last season's playoffs. Nix connected with newly acquired wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for a 35-yard gain before throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to R.J. Harvey. Nix finished six of nine for 76 yards and a touchdown while playing two possessions.
Wil Lutz later kicked a 53-yard field goal to give Denver a 10-7 advantage, but Green Bay controlled the remainder of the game. Pierre Strong Jr. returned the ensuing kickoff 68 yards, helping set up the first of four field goals by Smack.
Tyrod Taylor later connected with Will Sheppard for a two-yard touchdown, and Green Bay went into halftime with a 23-10 advantage. Smack connected on field goals from 51, 59, 44 and 38 yards during the game.
Jaden Nixon added a three-yard touchdown run in the second half as Green Bay continued to pull away. The Packers improved to 1-1 in preseason play and snapped Denver's eight-game preseason winning streak. The Broncos also finished the night with a 1-1 preseason record.