The Steelers did enough to outplay the Falcons in week one, and it positions them as the early top dog in the AFC North. Everything wasn’t perfect though, as this team certainly struggled through some learning pains as this very new team tried to get their footing ahead of a pivotal season.
The offense continued to look like a question mark at times, but the defense looks like an improved unit from last year. It was a good game to work out some kinks, as the Falcons looked equally lost at times. Here are the 5 winners and 2 losers from the Steelers first victory of the season against Atlanta.
Steelers winners
Edge T.J. Watt
The pass rush was on point today, and it wasn’t an easy matchup. Both of Atlanta’s tackles are good, and at times the pass rush took their lumps. That said, T.J. Watt specifically shined and helped lead the way. Although the majority of his statistical production was lost due to defensive penalties, he was the usual game-wrecker and looks poised for another impactful season.
Steelers secondary additions
I’ll lump these two together as both DeShon Elliot and Donte Jackson played well this week. Each logged a key interception, with Jackson’s essentially ending the game. Considering the lackluster play of both the cornerback and safety room at times last year, seeing both new faces look as good as they did was a welcome site.
Justin Fields
Call it controversial, but I think Justin Fields had a good game, all things considered. He went from likely bit player and backup to starter in roughly 24 hours and faced an uber-conservative offense out of the gate that limited him. He didn’t let a slow first quarter impact him though, and while his stats weren’t gaudy, they were enough to get the win. I think there is a real case to keep him as the starter moving forward following week one.
George Pickens
The star of the offense this week, it doesn’t look like it mattered much that the Steelers other receiving options were mediocre this week. Pickens shined as a short possession option and as his usual big-play self. His day was hampered by a questionable penalty on top of this. He is the top dog and in a league of his own on this team.
Chris Boswell
Easily the biggest winner on this list, every yinzer should be thanking Chris Boswell for another stellar performance. He was perfect as a kicker including multiple field goals over fifty yards. He also had to punt for a play, and while not perfect, he did enough to keep the Falcons out of great field position. A lesser kicker costs the Steelers this game.
Steelers losers
Offensive playcalling (initially)
The first quarter or so of this game was painful to watch on offense. The team looked like a clone of last year's version as the playcalling was bland and predictable. Once Arthur Smith allowed the group to loosen up though, they started to play well. I get keeping things basic for a backup, but Fields isn’t your usual backup and clearly could have handled more.
Scoring
While I praised Boswell for his ability to kick field goals, that also stands out as an issue for this team. The offense once again struggled to convert drives into touchdowns, instead settling for six field goals. This won’t be sustainable long term, and the Steelers need to find ways to end drives with six instead of three.
It was far from a perfect outing, but the Steelers did what they needed to do to win this week. In turn, it allows them to stand as the only team with a win in the AFC North right now, and it gives them some momentum heading into week two. Ideally, some of these issues can be worked out before then.