New York Jets vs Pittsburgh Steelers Picks and Prediction for Friday August 21, 2026

The New York Jets head to Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 of the NFL preseason on Friday, August 21, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. The Jets enter the matchup at 0-1 after losing their preseason opener 24-16 to Tampa Bay, while Pittsburgh is 1-0 following a convincing 28-9 victory over Green Bay. Make sure you are ready for the NFL season with our free NFL picks.

The current betting line has Pittsburgh favored by 3.5 points, with the Steelers around -158 on the moneyline and the Jets approximately +134. The total is 39.5. Those numbers make Pittsburgh a fairly substantial preseason favorite, but the Steelers' quarterback depth and their Week 1 performance give the market some justification for that position.

Previous Game Recap

The Jets opened the preseason with a 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium. New York actually started well, building a 10-0 advantage before Tampa Bay responded. Geno Smith was held out because of ankle soreness, giving rookie Cade Klubnik the opportunity to start. Klubnik completed 5 of 7 passes for 56 yards and directed scoring drives on both of his possessions.

Klubnik's first possession covered 65 yards in 12 plays and ended with a field goal. On New York's next possession, Braelon Allen broke loose for a 31-yard touchdown run. The Jets' starting defense also performed well during its two series, forcing Tampa Bay to punt twice, with Will McDonald IV recording a seven-yard sack. The problem came once New York moved deeper into its reserves, as Tampa Bay erased the early deficit and ultimately outscored the Jets 24-6 after New York's 10-0 start.

Pittsburgh's opener was considerably more impressive. The Steelers defeated the Green Bay Packers 28-9 at Acrisure Stadium, scoring 21 unanswered points in the second half. Aaron Rodgers did not play, allowing Pittsburgh to evaluate Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar.

The quarterback production was outstanding. Allar completed 10 of 13 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns, Rudolph went 10 of 11 for 93 yards, and Howard completed 7 of 9 for 86 yards. Combined, Pittsburgh's three quarterbacks went 27 of 33 for 333 passing yards, with the Steelers' offense getting productive work from every level of its quarterback rotation. Kaden Wetjen led Pittsburgh with 79 receiving yards on two catches, including a 74-yard reception from Allar.

Pittsburgh's defense was equally encouraging. The Steelers recorded four sacks and did not allow Green Bay a run of 10 yards. The obvious concern was discipline: Pittsburgh committed 11 penalties for 143 yards, something that could become much more costly against a Jets team that showed it can move the football with its early offensive units.

Jets Have Something to Build On

New York's 0-1 record doesn't tell the entire story of its opener. The Jets were clearly competitive when their higher-positioned players were on the field. Klubnik operated efficiently, the offense produced points on each of his possessions, and the starting defense did not allow Tampa Bay to score.

Klubnik is particularly interesting entering the second preseason game. Completing 71.4% of his passes and leading two scoring possessions was a strong debut, especially considering he was unexpectedly elevated into the starting role with Smith sitting out. The question is how Aaron Glenn structures his quarterback rotation in Pittsburgh.

New York also showed some explosiveness on the ground with Allen's 31-yard touchdown. That matters against a Pittsburgh defense that was excellent against Green Bay's running game, so this becomes a useful test for the Jets' offensive depth.

The concern is what happened after the early units departed. New York led 10-0 and still lost by eight points. Preseason handicapping is often about determining which roster can maintain its level of play deeper into the second half, and Week 1 clearly favored Pittsburgh in that category.

Steelers Quarterback Depth Stands Out

Pittsburgh's quarterback performance against Green Bay is the strongest handicapping angle in this matchup. Completing 27 of 33 attempts across three quarterbacks is exceptional efficiency regardless of the preseason setting.

Allar was particularly impressive after entering later in the game. His 74-yard completion set up his own three-yard rushing touchdown, and he later threw touchdown passes of five and four yards. That allowed Pittsburgh to continue scoring after the game had moved almost entirely into reserve-versus-reserve football.

Howard also showed that he could direct sustained offense. He led an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive late in the first half, helping Pittsburgh take a 7-6 lead into halftime. When Howard departed, Allar continued the momentum rather than allowing the offense to stall.

That's exactly the profile I like from a preseason favorite. Pittsburgh doesn't necessarily need its established starters to play significant snaps to have an advantage. The Steelers demonstrated against Green Bay that their reserve quarterbacks can execute the offense and produce points.

The major issue is the 143 penalty yards. Pittsburgh won't consistently overcome that kind of undisciplined football, and laying more than a field goal in the preseason leaves less room for those mistakes.

New York Jets vs Pittsburgh Steelers Picks and Prediction

Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5

I'm backing Pittsburgh -3.5. The Jets showed enough early against Tampa Bay to make me cautious about laying a bigger number, but the difference in quarterback depth from Week 1 is difficult to overlook.

Pittsburgh received effective performances from all three quarterbacks and scored 21 second-half points. New York went in the opposite direction after taking its early 10-0 lead. In a preseason matchup where second- and third-team execution could determine the result, Pittsburgh has provided considerably stronger evidence that its offense can continue functioning after the top units leave the field.

The -3.5 isn't quite as attractive as Pittsburgh -2.5 or -3 would be, so I wouldn't chase this much higher. At the current number, however, I'll lay the points with the home team.

Pick: Over 39.5

My total pick is Over 39.5. Pittsburgh's Week 1 quarterback numbers are the primary reason. The Steelers produced 333 passing yards from their three quarterbacks, and Allar demonstrated that Pittsburgh can continue attacking offensively deep into the fourth quarter.

New York also showed enough offensively to contribute. The Jets scored on Klubnik's first two possessions, and the game ultimately produced 40 combined points despite New York scoring only six after taking its early 10-0 lead. Pittsburgh's opener finished with 37 points, but the Steelers accounted for 28 themselves.

With Pittsburgh's quarterback depth and New York showing some offensive capability early in its opener, 39.5 is low enough for me to take the over.

Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers 24, New York Jets 20

Best Bet: Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5