Jets Shut Out Steelers 17-0: Fantasy Fallout From a Backup-Heavy Week 2

The Jets shut out the Steelers 17-0 in a game that told you almost nothing about either team's Week 1 outlook and quite a bit about the depth charts underneath it. Geno Smith's cameo was flawless, Pittsburgh's two backup quarterbacks combined to look nothing like a resolved QB2 battle, and one Jets receiver quietly had the cleanest efficiency line of the night.

Geno Smith's cameo was perfect, and the real Jets battle is Klubnik vs. Zappe

Smith went 7 of 7 for 65 yards and a touchdown, a 144.9 rating, before exiting for good — a clean cameo and nothing more to read into it. Behind him, Cade Klubnik got the bulk of the remaining snaps (10 of 14, 75 yards, sacked twice, 83.9 rating) while Bailey Zappe was arguably sharper on fewer opportunities (6 of 8, 68 yards, 100.0 rating). Brady Cook barely played but made the most of it, hitting Quincy Skinner Jr. for a 31-yard touchdown on one of his two attempts.

Skinner was the clearest fantasy-relevant story at receiver: four targets, four catches, 47 yards and a touchdown — a perfect conversion rate and the Jets' clear go-to option in this game regardless of which quarterback was throwing to him.

Pittsburgh's shutout was a quarterback problem, not a Kaleb Johnson problem

Neither Pittsburgh quarterback did enough to separate himself. Drew Allar went 11 of 23 for 110 yards and was sacked three times, a 61.9 rating. Will Howard was worse: 10 of 15 for 74 yards, two interceptions, a 38.6 rating. The Steelers' offense managed zero points with both of them under center, and it wasn't the run game's fault.

Kaleb Johnson led all rushers in the game with 10 carries for 39 yards, more volume and more production than anyone in the Jets backfield managed. Pittsburgh's passing game, not its ground game, is what needs answers before the regular season.

What to do with this

A shutout with this much backup involvement shouldn't move anyone's actual draft board, but Quincy Skinner Jr.'s perfect target conversion and Pittsburgh's unresolved QB2 fight between Allar and Howard are both worth tracking. Check the rookie rankings to see where names like Skinner and Allar currently sit, and use the best ball tool to see how the model is pricing Pittsburgh's backfield heading into the season. Full box score: ESPN.