The start of the 2024 NFL regular season is almost here. In just 10 days, on Sept. 8, the Pittsburgh Steelers will open the season on the road against the Atlanta Falcons.
There is plenty of intrigue in this matchup. Arthur Smith will be making his return to his old head coaching gig just eight months after being fired. Two veteran quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins, will both be making their debuts with their new teams. And Mike Tomlin will be coaching against his longtime friend Raheem Morris as he begins his career as the Falcons’ head coach.
Everything up until Week 1 is theory. Projection models, Vegas win totals, and offseason grades are all fun to read about in the offseason, but the rubber meets the road when the regular season begins. Every season, without fail, some teams have high expectations that underperform and low expectations that overperform. So, while many experts seem down on the Steelers as of late, it really doesn’t mean much of anything until there is real football to analyze.
That being said, a panel of 10 NFL Network experts offered up their Week 1 predictions for the Steelers-Falcons game, and the Steelers did not fare so well. Of the 10 panelists, just two picked the Steelers.
Of the 10 panelists, the Falcons are projected to get 20.7 points and the Steelers 16.2. That is more or less in line with the current Vegas consensus of the Falcons being favored by 3 points.
Shout out to the Move the Sticks hosts, Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks, for being the only experts picking the Steelers.
The Falcons probably have the edge on offense, at least on paper, while the Steelers have the edge on defense. The Falcons have made some significant acquisitions on defense in recent weeks with OLB Matt Judon and S Justin Simmons.
Isaac Seumalo’s injury complicates things for the Steelers. He is expected to be out for four weeks, and he is probably the best lineman on the team as the young players work to get up to speed. In Week 1, quite a few rookies or second-year players will block up front.
