Geno Smith throws a touchdown pass during his 1-drive cameo as Jets top Steelers 17-0

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Geno Smith capped a perfect one-series cameo by throwing for a touchdown and the New York Jets picked off a pair of passes in a 17-0 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night.

Smith, who sat out New York's preseason opener with a sore left ankle, started and drove the Jets 69 yards to the end zone, the last 13 coming on a flip to a wide-open Jelani Woods. Smith, who played for the Jets from 2013 to 2016 and was acquired from Las Vegas in March, went 7 for 7 for 65 yards on the drive in what will likely be the 13-year veteran's lone exhibition appearance.

New York's defense, a major weakness during a 3-14 slog in 2025, kept young Pittsburgh quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar in check. Jets rookie edge rusher David Bailey, the second overall pick in this year's draft, dropped Howard for an 11-yard loss in the first quarter.

Perhaps even more promising for New York, the defense also found a way to catch the ball, something that didn't happen at all during the regular season a year ago when the Jets became the first team since the NFL started tracking the statistic in 1933 to go an entire year without a single pick.

New York intercepted Howard twice in the first half with the Steelers driving in New York territory.

Andre Cisco stepped in front of a poor Howard pass intended for Roman Wilson and raced 23 yards the other way. Samuel Womack made a nice grab on a ball again intended for Wilson with the Steelers in New York territory.

Howard and Allar, given the entirety of the workload while starter Aaron Rodgers and longtime backup Mason Rudolph took the night off, failed to reproduce the fireworks that marked their impressive debuts a week ago.

The duo who combined to lead four touchdown drives against the Packers failed to reach the end zone even once against the Jets.

Howard got the start and completed 10 of 15 passes for 75 yards, his most impressive moment coming on a 15-yard third-down connection with Ben Skowronek in which he stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure before finding Skowronek over the middle.

That moment, however, was overshadowed by a pair of throws that ended up in the hands of the Jets on a night the former sixth-round pick looked very much like the project that he is.

Allar, taken in the third round this year, avoided turning the ball over but wasn't quite as electrifying as he was last week. His best moment came on a 39-yard connection with tight end Lake McCree in which Allar went through his progressions before floating the ball to an open McCree down the sideline. Allar finished 11 of 23 for 110 yards.

Rookie Cade Klubnik, competing for the No. 2 job behind Smith, didn't lead the Jets to the end zone, but he did pass for 75 yards while hitting on 10 of 14 pass attempts. Klubnik also scrambled 16 yards for a first down, the longest running play of the night by either team.

Jets cornerback Tre Brown was helped off the field in the second quarter, but he returned.

Jets: Host MetLife Stadium roommates the New York Giants on Aug. 28.

Steelers: Travel to Buffalo on Aug. 27.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) avoids a tackle during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the New York Jets, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

New York Jets safety Andre Cisco (8) runs the ball after intercepting a pass during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard, left, reacts after being sacked by New York Jets linebacker David Bailey (31) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith throws during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) greets teammates before an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Karmelo Anthony had planned to testify during his Texas murder trial over a track meet stabbing but backed out amid sudden concerns that prosecutors would raise potentially damaging evidence about the teenager's past, one of his lawyers said Friday.

Anthony, 19, is asking for a new trial after a jury in June sentenced him to 35 years in prison for killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, who attended a rival school and was stabbed during a confrontation at a track competition last year. Since then, the case has stirred tensions over race and led to both families becoming targets of harassment.

During the second day of a hearing near Dallas, defense attorney Toby Shook said the teenager's plans to testify unraveled over worries that prosecutors would renege on an agreement to not present evidence that might further inflame an already highly charged case.

“It was essential that the jury hear Karmelo and hear his explanation,” Shook said.

The hearing concluded Friday evening. It was not clear when state District Judge Michael Chitty would issue a ruling on whether to grant a new trial.

Prosecutor Bill Wirskye has defended the trial as fair and said the possibility of Anthony testifying wasn't part of the original agreement with the defense. Anthony's attorneys say it should have been obvious the teenager would want to explain to jurors himself how he acted in self-defense.

Defense attorney Russell Wilson, who did not represent Anthony at the criminal trial, said an argument that erupted between the legal teams over the agreement happened as Anthony was about to “make the biggest decision of his life” and impacted his due process and decision to not testify.

Wilson also noted to the judge at the end of the hearing that there was still confusion over the agreement.

Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Among the details that jurors never heard because of the agreement, according to attorneys on both sides, were that Anthony once sent a text message fantasizing about stabbing someone and Metcalf had a history of fighting and using racist language.

During the trial, lawyers on both sides told jurors the tragedy had nothing to do with race, but social media posts amplified the killing nationwide in racial terms.

In an interview with NewsNation, Metcalf's father, Jeff Metcalf, said he supported the agreement between prosecutors and defense attorneys. He said information about his son's juvenile history does not change what happened the day his son was killed.

“We all want our children to be the best they can be, and obviously, we all fall short,” Jeff Metcalf told NewsNation. “It still doesn’t change the facts of the case.”

Metcalf's parents and Anthony's parents have attended both days of the hearing.

Anthony's attorneys have also told the judge he should get a new trial because of errors that limited access to the proceedings. They have argued that the case’s original judge allowed a “shadow docket” that shielded character information about both sides.

The trial in June took place amid heightened court security. Wirskye said there had been threats against a judge who granted Anthony bond, fake autopsy reports circulating online and attempts to intimidate witnesses. Parents of some witnesses also filed protective orders for their children because of threats, according to Wirskye.

Anthony secured one legal victory this week when the judge who presided over his trial was removed from the case. Chitty was then assigned to consider the motion for a retrial.

Anthony’s attorneys had asked for state District Judge John Roach to be removed in part because of a TV interview in which Roach said jurors “got it right” when they delivered a guilty verdict.

Associated Press writer Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, contributed.

This booking photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, shows Karmelo Anthony. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP)