With the Falcons' first unofficial depth chart listing 21-year-old rookie Avieon Terrell as its starting nickel, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a juicy Week 1 matchup to test. This puts him directly in the area where Mike McCarthy has several ways to cause problems.
Aaron Rodgers won't force passes at Terrell all game long. Jessie Bates III will be working behind him, while A.J. Terrell Jr. gives Atlanta a proven corner on the outside. But with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington leading the tight end room on Pittsburgh’s own Week 1 depth chart, McCarthy has the pieces to change the formation and make the rookie sort out his assignment.
The Falcons’ Week 1 depth chart also puts rookie Kendal Daniels ahead of Harold Perkins Jr. at inside linebacker. That leaves Atlanta preparing to open the season with plenty of youth in the middle of its defense, and Pittsburgh should test how well those young defenders handle it.
Pittsburgh Steelers can use Michael Pittman Jr. to expose the Atlanta Falcons’ coverage plan
Putting Michael Pittman Jr. in the slot with Freiermuth aligned on the same side would immediately test Atlanta’s communication. Motioning Pittman across the formation could also help Rodgers identify whether Terrell follows him, passes him into a zone, or adjusts the coverage with a teammate.
Pittsburgh can get several concepts from that look. Pittman can run an option route against Terrell, Freiermuth can work behind Daniels, or the Steelers can run outside if Atlanta lightens the box. The formation doesn’t have to change for the rookies’ responsibilities to change, which is exactly the kind of mental work Pittsburgh should demand in their first NFL game.
Pittman’s availability is worth watching after a hamstring limited him during camp and the preseason. If he isn’t ready for a full workload, Freiermuth would be the better early option. McCarthy can move him between an in-line alignment and the slot, forcing Atlanta to decide whether Terrell, Daniels, or Bates takes the assignment.
Terrell was the No. 48 pick in the draft after showing physical coverage ability and positional flexibility at Clemson, so he isn’t some overwhelmed backup Rodgers can pick on without consequence. The Steelers also can’t focus so heavily on him that they lose sight of the more important fight against Bijan Robinson when Atlanta has the ball.
But this is Terrell’s first NFL game, and Rodgers should make him work. Change the formation, send motion through his area, and give him different combinations of Pittman’s size and Freiermuth’s route running. If the rookie settles into the game without being challenged, Pittsburgh isn't testing him often enough.
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