Buffalo was without both Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman, leaving an already backup-heavy passing game even thinner at receiver. Pittsburgh had DK Metcalf working through a restructured deal but active, and Pat Freiermuth back in the mix after a quiet week against the Jets. Buffalo opened as the short home favorite, which tracked with the deeper overall roster even with the top names in street clothes.
None of that mattered much once the ball was live. Howard, who'd completed just 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards with two interceptions against the Jets, looked like a different quarterback from the jump.
Howard hit Germie Bernard in the flat for a touchdown, with Bernard shaking a tackle to get in, then connected with Lake McRee on a shovel pass for a second score to put Pittsburgh up 14-3. It was the answer the Steelers needed from a quarterback who'd looked lost the week before, even in a game that ultimately won't count for anything.
Buffalo's backups eventually did enough to survive, closing a preseason that opened 2-0 with one more win, but it wasn't the comfortable finish the deeper roster was supposed to deliver. Pittsburgh pushed the game to the final possession before falling a point short — nothing close to a lopsided roster mismatch.
Both injury boards were mostly noise by kickoff — activations, restructures and depth signings rather than anything that reshapes a regular-season outlook. But the finale still mattered for the names fighting for a 53-man spot, and Thursday night gave both fan bases a long look at who's next in line behind the players who actually see the field once games count.