While it wasn’t always pretty, the Pittsburgh Steelers got it done in their season opener against the Atlanta Falcons. A strong defensive effort, led by two interceptions and six Chris Boswell field goals, led Pittsburgh to an 18-10 win. The Steelers are now 1-0.
Atlanta started with the ball and marched down the field, as Pittsburgh couldn’t stop the run game led by Bijan Robinson until a 1st and Goal run, where OLB T.J. Watt made a big play to stuff Robinson for a loss of three yards. An incomplete pass and a dump-off to Robinson brought up fourth down, and the Falcons settled for a 24-yard field goal by Younghoe Koo, and Atlanta took an early 3-0 lead with 9:06 left in the first quarter.
Pittsburgh responded with a 57-yard field goal by K Chris Boswell after a drive that included two fumbled snaps by QB Justin Fields, starting in place of QB Russell Wilson, but he did break off a 12-yard scramble on third down to keep the drive alive for the Steelers on a 3rd and 7.
The Pittsburgh defense came through on the next drive, with S DeShon Elliott making an impact in his debut with an interception of Cousins as the Steelers took over at their own 49. They were able to capitalize off the turnover with a 51-yard field goal by Boswell with 12:54 left in the first half on a bizarre 10-play, 18-yard drive that included a reverse to WR George Pickens, that lost nine yards.
Both teams would then trade punts, with Pittsburgh having a big gain to Pickens wiped out due to a questionable offensive pass interference penalty.
The Falcons got the ball back with 3:50 left in the first half and put together the first touchdown drive of the game, largely thanks to former Steelers WR Ray-Ray McCloud. McCloud racked up three receptions for 45 receiving yards on the drive, and it was finished off on a 12-yard touchdown pass by QB Kirk Cousins to TE Kyle Pitts, and the Falcons took a 10-6 lead with 32 seconds left in the half. The play before the touchdown, Watt was ruled offsides on what looked to be a strip-sack, and it doesn’t look like Watt crossed the line of scrimmage.
The Steelers got three back, though, with a 33-yard completion to Pickens on 1st and 10 from the Pittsburgh 42 that set Boswell up for a 44-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. Atlanta led 10-9 at the halftime break.
The Steelers leaned heavily on their rushing attack during the first half, running for 49 yards on 16 carries. They ran 29 total plays in the first half, with Justin Fields going 11-13 for 83 yards through the air, with a big chunk of those yards coming on the completion to Pickens at the end of the half.
After a Pittsburgh three-and-out to open the second half, the defense came through with a fumble recovery by T.J. Watt on a botched snap, and Pittsburgh took back over at their own 38. The Steelers crossed midfield and again had to settle for a 50-plus yard field goal, but Boswell was again good, this time from 56, and the Steelers took a 12-10 lead with 7:45 left in the third quarter.
After forcing a punt, the Steelers took a shot downfield, and Fields hit Pickens for a 40-yard gain to the Atlanta 28. But the Steelers again had to settle for a field goal, and Boswell hit a 40-yard try to extend the Pittsburgh lead to 15-10 with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.
Pittsburgh’s defense got another stop and the offense got on the move, spearheaded by a 20-yard run by RB Najee Harris. The Steelers made their first trip into the red zone on a Justin Fields QB draw for a first down, but Pittsburgh wouldn’t score. A 3rd and 2 screen pass to WR Van Jefferson was short of the sticks, and Fields was short on a QB sneak so the score remained 15-10 with 7:03 left to play.
The Steelers’ defense did its thing again, though, forcing a three-and-out. Atlanta punted from inside its own 20 with 5:25 to go. The Steelers would take over at its own 38 but went three-and-out with two plays that went backward, including a third-down sack.
What looked to be a disaster with Cameron Johnston getting injured on the ensuing punt turned into an interception two plays later by CB Donte Jackson with 2:47 left, and Jackson took it back to the Atlanta 18. Pittsburgh picked up a first down on a run by Fields on 3rd and 5, as he picked up eight yards, and the Steelers had a 1st and Goal right before the two-minute warning. With 28 seconds left, Boswell would extend the lead to 18-10 with his sixth field goal of the game.
Atlanta got the ball back, but a tackle by Beanie Bishop Jr. kept WR Ray-Ray McCloud in bounds, and Watt sacked Cousins to end the game.
Pittsburgh moves to 1-0, while the Falcons started the season 0-1. Pittsburgh’s second-half defense was fantastic, and the offense did just enough to get the job done.
