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In a game that featured 16 accepted penalties, three fumbles, three missed field goals, plus another aborted kick and a crucial DK Metcalf drop, it was T.J. Watt’s pick six early in the fourth quarter that made the difference.
The Pittsburgh Steelers held on for a 20-13 win over the Cooper Rush-led Atlanta Falcons to start the Mike McCarthy Era.
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The 31-year-old T.J. Watt was coming off a down season. Was Sunday’s performance a sign of things to come?
Watt entered this season with plenty to prove. The star outside linebacker’s production dipped dramatically over the last two seasons. After logging 19 sacks in 2023, he registered 11 1/2 in 2024 and seven in 2025 (albeit in a shortened season due to a punctured lung). On Sunday, he looked like the player the team is paying big money, recording three tackles for loss and two sacks to go along with his pick six.
As the season continues, it will be interesting to see what the change at defensive coordinator means for Watt’s future. DC Patrick Graham explained his philosophy isn’t necessarily to create free rushers as much as to dictate one-on-one matchups by messing with the offense’s protection plan. For a player like Watt, who is often chipped and double-teamed, this could free him up to make more impactful plays. — Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer
Keeping the Cooper Rush third-string QB asterisk in mind, what do you make of the Falcons’ offense, particularly that highly-compensated supporting cast?
It’s impossible to evaluate the Falcons offense outside of Rush’s performance because it’s impossible to run a functioning offense the way he played Sunday. In fairness to the nine-year veteran, he only joined the team during training camp this offseason. He was thrust into the starting lineup Thursday and was suffering from back spasms as late as Saturday. The Falcons’ veteran offensive line was manhandled by Pittsburgh’s front seven. The result made it almost impossible for Atlanta to advance more than 10 yards down the field.
Rush averaged 2.1 air yards per attempt and didn’t complete his first pass to a player other than running back Bijan Robinson until the 5:47 mark of the second quarter. He finished 12-of-22 passing for 143 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions bad interceptions that led to both of Pittsburgh’s touchdowns. The backbreaker was Watt’s 35-yard pick six. Receiver Drake London finished with two catches for 29 yards and Olamide Zaccheaus had one catch for 5 yards as the only non-running backs to catch a pass.
“(Rush) battled like I knew he would,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said.
For the day, the Steelers had four sacks, four quarterback hurries, three additional tackles for loss and four passes batted down by defensive linemen, and four of Atlanta’s offensive linemen were called for holding at least once.
The most important question for Atlanta now is, “When will Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) and/or Michael Penix Jr. (knee) be ready to play?” The answer is that both could be ready as early as the Falcons’ Week 2 game against Carolina in Atlanta, a team source told The Athletic on condition of anonymity to speak about private deliberations. — Josh Kendall, Falcons beat writer
New coaches led Pittsburgh and Atlanta. What kind of first impressions did Kevin Stefanski and Mike McCarthy make?
In many ways, it looked like the Steelers of old. They allowed an inferior opponent with a third-string quarterback to hang around and only began to create separation when Watt made a spectacular play. The Steelers got the win, which was the most important thing, but they scored few style points. They largely looked like a team that didn’t play its starters much (or at all) in the preseason.
They were a more pass-happy offense under McCarthy. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 24 of 40 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, McCarthy called just 18 designed runs. The coach said in the future he’d like a more balanced approach. “Keep throwing it,” Rodgers joked.
Stylistically, the Steelers showed a greater willingness to target the middle of the field and attack with deep throws. While those deep balls didn’t often connect, it was a slightly different approach than last season.
An early Jaylen Warren fumble gifted the Falcons points. The Steelers also botched a field goal attempt and couldn’t take advantage of good field position by finishing drives with touchdowns. There’s a lot to clean up, but they can do so at 1-0. — DeFabo
Pittsburgh’s Alex Highsmith sacks Atlanta quarterback Cooper Rush during the first quarter Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. (Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
Stefanski started his career handcuffed with a third-string quarterback, but starting the season with nine penalties is not a great look for any team or coach. Stefanski’s aggressive decision-making late in the first half was also questionable considering how poorly Rush was playing.
“It’s hard to win on the road when you (have nine penalties and two turnovers),” Stefanski said. “Those are things we can learn from, we can clean them up. Love the effort from our guys, but you have to be about your business on Sundays. A couple times we weren’t as sharp as I would have liked today.”
Falcons fans will be upset at Stefanski for not throwing undrafted rookie quarterback Jack Strand into the lineup — Stefanski said he never considered it — but the team will be deliberate with Strand’s development, so it’s hard to fault the decision not to play him. — Kendall
First impressions of new Steelers DC Patrick Graham’s defense
Graham didn’t have to dig too deep into his bag of tricks against a floundering Falcons offense. We didn’t see as many simulated pressures or exotic coverage disguises as anticipated. Graham’s experience with defensive fronts was noticeable, as the Steelers’ front seven largely won their assignments. Cameron Heyward battled multiple passes at the line of scrimmage, and Payton Wilson racked up double-digit tackles. Robinson is too talented to completely shut down. He had his moments Sunday, but the Steelers didn’t allow him to take over the game.
An interesting wrinkle: Nick Herbig playing off the ball behind a four-man front. This is one of the many ways the Steelers can try to get the recently paid linebacker on the field more often. — DeFabo
Joey Porter Jr. was inactive; he failed to land a contract extension this week. How did the Steelers’ secondary hold up without him, and what’s next?
The Steelers didn’t really need Porter, at least not against this Falcons offense. They have a lot of faith in Asante Samuel Jr. He was one of the standouts this preseason and was solid in a starting role (aside from a late hit on London in the third quarter). Samuel wasn’t tested a lot. It also helps that Rush threw an interception directly to safety Jaquan Brisker.
As for what happens next with Porter, the Steelers continue to say publicly that his ongoing recovery from a back injury is the issue. However, it’s impossible to ignore that Porter and Pittsburgh failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension ahead of the team’s self-imposed deadline of the start of the regular season. Porter was the first player to leave the locker room before it was open to reporters on Sunday.
If an injury is the reason Porter is sidelined, he has to be nearing a return. If it’s actually a strained relationship after a contentious negotiation, it’s hard to see this ending well. The Steelers have a long-standing policy that they don’t negotiate with players in-season. If Porter isn’t willing to play without a new contract, options are limited, and a trade might be the only way forward. — DeFabo
Where do Joey Porter Jr. and the Steelers go from here?
Mike DeFabo
Stefanski kept Jeff Ulbrich as his defensive coordinator. What did you see from that side of the ball?
That is looking like a good decision. A game defensive effort kept Atlanta in the game until the back half of the fourth quarter. Ulbrich rotated defenders liberally throughout the day, essentially changing about half the squad depending on the situation. Rookie Kendal Daniels got the start at middle linebacker, and fellow defensive rookies Harold Perkins and Avieon Terrell had high snap counts.
The most positive sign for the Falcons was their ability to get interior pressure on Rodgers, with newcomer Maason Smith (acquired via trade with Jacksonville this offseason) leading the way. Za’Darius Smith was the runner-up in that category with two sacks. — Kendall