Watch: Connor Heyward pushes past pylon for TD

The Pittsburgh Steelers took awhile to find their rhythm offensively in their first preseason game of the 2024 NFL season against the Houston Texans, but when they did, they drove the field and scored.

Quarterback Kyle Allen took over after Justin Fields put in his short series’ early in the game. With Zach Frazier at center, Allen led the Steelers offense on Pittsburgh’s first offensive series of the third quarter with the team down, 17-0.

The drive included a beautiful deep pass from Allen to Calvin Austin for a 25-yard gain on 2nd & 17 that got the ball to the Texans’ 18-yard line. After scrambling for the next first down on a heads-up keeper, Allen took the next play’s snap under center on first-and-goal.

Allen spun to fake the handoff, then found tight end Connor Heyward on the outside. The pass had nice touch on it and Heyward was able to secure it, turn with a defender close, and get the football inside the pylon for the Steelers’ first touchdown in the game.

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Heyward recorded two catches in the game as Pittsburgh evaluated as many players as possible in the first in-game evaluation ahead of the regular season. He was the lone receiver to score a touchdown reception, although Austin nearly secured one but was thwarted by a poorly overthrown ball by Allen.

Backup placekicker Matthew Wright missed the PAT after the touchdown in a game that featured mistakes that gave the Steelers a 20-12 loss.