Predicting the outcome of Steelers head spinning Week 1 matchup vs. Falcons

Sometimes predicting an NFL game is not as easy as it seems. When Week 1 arrives, everyone is still holding onto hope that their favorite NFL team will shock everyone else and find their way to a Super Bowl victory by the time February arrives. The Steelers have plenty of aspirations, but so do the Falcons entering the year.

Kirk Cousins will be at quarterback after spending the past six years with the Minnesota Vikings. He got paid a ton of money in free agency to help lift the Atlanta Falcons back into playoff contention. He is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, so he might struggle in certain aspects of his game. Atlanta paid a lot of money to sign him, and they want to see immediate success.

Pittsburgh also dipped its toes in the quarterback pool as they brought in both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Wilson is the starter heading into Week 1 for the Steelers and he has plenty of doubters to prove wrong. Time will tell if the veteran quarterback can turn the final years of his career around, or if he is a veteran backup going forward.

Quarterbacks will headline this game, but there are plenty of other things to pay close attention to. Both teams are going to want to run the football. Whichever team can sustain success on the ground the longest will have the edge to potentially win this game. Neither the Steelers nor the Falcons have perfect rosters heading into this matchup, so it could be a close one.

Pittsburgh vs Atlanta Week 1 prediction: Falcons 24, Steelers 21

Tough to juggle different elements in this game between the Steelers and Falcons. Both teams have flaws, but they could also outperform what many have perceived as their expected output. Both quarterbacks are currently question marks, but it is possible Wilson is more prepared after playing more snaps in the preseason than Cousins.

One would have to assume Atlanta has the edge on offense as they have the more proven quarterback in recent years, a star running back, plenty of weapons down the field, and a strong offensive line. Their defense has a couple of star players to fill out the unit, but they don't have any impact players at the level of T.J. Watt.

Pittsburgh might be weaker on the offensive side of things, but they do have players in place to create a strong offense based on their rushing attack. Their defense is better than Atlanta's, but they will be relied on to make Cousin's life difficult throughout the entire game. When it comes to special teams, neither the Steelers nor the Falcons stand out to lean one way or the other.

Going with the Falcons here to win the game on a late field goal. Steelers Nation should be well-represented on the road despite it being a season opener. Cousins and Wilson might be the determining factor in this one. The edge goes to the Falcons as they have more weapons on offense. Cousins has also been more successful compared to Wilson over the past couple of seasons.