One thing to keep in mind during the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 1 matchup against the Falcons is the opposition's number of injuries. Atlanta's injury report is staggering going into this game, with many of their players limited or missing practices leading up to the first battle of the campaign. It's clear that the Steelers are the favorites in this game, and those injury concerns have only inflated those odds.
For those who follow the Black and Gold, they know that this shouldn't be chalked up as an easy win for the home team. The franchise has blown games like this in the past, as many assumed they would emerge victorious, only to find a way to lose against a lesser foe.
Yes, on paper, Pittsburgh is clearly the better team, even if the Falcons were fully healthy, but that isn't as much of a calming sentiment as you'd imagine.
Throughout the Mike Tomlin era, the Steelers routinely lost games where they were clear favorites. Their ultra-conservative style led to disaster in those instances. Hopefully, with Mike McCarthy now in the fold, those setbacks won't happen. That being said, the home team in this game has some concerns of their own. That could lead to doubts creeping in from their fans going into this matchup.
Pittsburgh Steelers doubts still linger despite clear edge to defeat the beat up Falcons
When you break down the list of potential starters who could miss time against the Steelers in Week 1 of the season, it's shocking. Atlanta could be without four starters in their lineup, including their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. That injury list throughout the week for the opposition included eight players on the roster who either missed practices or were limited due to different injuries.
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, was mostly healthy, except for Joey Porter Jr. missing time with an apparent back injury. That has led to much more time for their players to hopefully gain effective practice reps and transition that into success on the field.
The Falcons haven't had that opportunity with the game quickly approaching, and it shouldn't lead to as much tension for Steelers Nation as it likely will.
The good news is that overall, Mike McCarthy is much better in games that he is favored by a wide margin than Mike Tomlin. That doesn't mean he is evasive from an upset or two here and there, but it's less common than with the Tomlin-led Steelers. Expect Pittsburgh to produce a better outing; otherwise, it could lead to a bitter start to the new coach's era with the team.
With few mistakes able to happen for the Steelers this season, especially with the easier part of their schedule before the bye, they cannot afford to lose this game.
The Falcons have too many players beat up for Pittsburgh to struggle in this matchup. Their fans know better than to expect a blowout despite McCarthy leading the way. Don't be shocked if this becomes a brutal fight to the end.
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