Though Drew Allar didn't quite play a full half of football in his debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which was the initial expectation, he left the team with plenty to chew on.Mason Rudolph and Will Howard both set a high bar with strong performances of their own, going a combined 17-for-20 for 179 yards before the Steelers decided to thrust Allar into the thick of things against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium.A third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Allar was selected with the knowledge that he was a long-term project. While some of the sore spots in his game were still present in Pittsburgh's preseason opener, most notably with his footwork, the Penn State product appeared comfortable in the pocket and delivered accurate throw after accurate throw as the black and gold won by a final score of 28-9.As far as first impressions go, Allar hit his out of the park.Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) warms up before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectAllar's Standout DayAllar's first drive began with a pair of runs by Kaleb Johnson. Instead of stumbling into a three-and-out, though, the 22-year-old threw a strike to fellow rookie Kaden Wetjen, who broke free and outran the Packers' secondary all the way down to the three-yard line. He subsequently misfired on what would've been a touchdown pass to Riley Nowakowski, leaving it a bit out in front. Instead of letting that linger in his head and affect his moxie, Allar lowered his shoulder on the following play and ran it in for a touchdown.Allar's second series saw him march the Steelers' offense down the field with ease. With the run game not exactly operating at a high level, he filtered through his reads quickly and found open targets with relative ease while keeping the ball out of harm's way and evading any pressure that came his way.A 10-play, 89-yard drive capped off with a Wetjen touchdown on a rollout from Allar, whose poise behind center remained evident.In his third series, Allar once again led Pittsburgh into the end zone over 10 plays totaling 60 yards, with Nowakowski hauling in a four-yard pass for the score that put the final touches on a remarkable night that saw him go 10-for-13 for 153 yards and two touchdowns.Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) dives into the end-zone to score a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectImpossible Not to Feel OptimisticFrankly, if Allar had come out and looked out of place, no one should've batted an eye.After all, beyond his raw tools, just about every area of his profile as a player was in need of substantial improvement upon entering the NFL.Allar certainly made headway from where he stood during rookie minicamp compared to how he's performed during training camp, but it still hadn't always been pretty in Latrobe.In his first exposure to an opposing defense as a professional, however, Allar largely passed with flying colors. He never seemed flustered in a spot where that was almost the expectation, and the typical mistakes you'd expect from a young quarterback weren't really there.From making throws on the move to leading three touchdown drives and displaying smooth throwing mechanics, even if his footwork is still unrefined, Allar showed the Steelers everything they could've hoped for and then some in this contest.With two preseason games remaining, Allar has made himself the talk of the town alongside Howard.Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI, and find our podcast All Steelers Talk on YouTube or anywhere you listen!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow