PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Drew Allar seemed as calm after the game as it appeared he was in the game. The rookie from Penn State led three touchdown drives in the 28-9 Steelers preseason opening win against Green Bay.
“I think my job as a quarterback is to go out and put up points no matter what the situation is, so I feel like we did a good job with that,” Allar said Thursday night.
Yeah, I’d say. His first pass was a simple in-route to rookie Kaden Wetjen, who then took is 64 yards for a 75-yard play with his first pro pass.
“I knew I had really good leverage on that basic route with Kaden,” Allar explained. “He did a great job at the top of really giving a two-way go to that DB (who slipped down) and not allowing him to guess and anticipate where Kaden was going to break it. Then on that, you just want to give him a catchable ball and one that's out in front around his body that he can turn upfield and really do what he did and go make a 12-yard gain, whatever it was, like a 70-yard gain.”
Allar would finish that drive with a three-yard touchdown run.
He would take the Steelers 89 yards on the next series finishing with a five-yard TD to Wetjen and then 60 yards on his final drive with a four-yard touchdown to rookie fullback Riley Nowakowski.
Of all of the praise for the rookie quarterback, maybe nothing hits like the comments from former Navy tailback and fellow rookie Eli Heidenreich.
“He definitely had command,” Heidenreich said. “It's kind of something you feel, it's kind of hard to describe, but it's absolutely something I felt on that field. He was just composed.”
“Yeah, I think it's a huge confidence boost,” Allar said of his first game. “I think I came into the game confident just because of the preparation and everything that has gone on the last two weeks down in Latrobe.”
“Coach McCarthy and the whole offensive staff putting together a really concise game plan and, again, just calling stuff that they know I'm comfortable with and just allowing us to go out and play fast. I feel like they did a great job of putting me in the position to go out and be successful.”
‘Dreeewww’
When Allar came into the game at Acrisure Stadium there were fans yelling out his first name. Asked if he heard it or thought maybe there were boos.
“No, I was more focused on enunciating the play call more than anything,” Allar said. “I didn't really hear it at all.”
Why Allar had success & a big-time comment from Eli Heidenreich
Why Allar had success & a big-time comment from Eli Heidenreich
