The game between the Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers is currently seen as a toss-up with the Falcons slightly favored because it’s in their stadium. Both teams have history between some members of their organizations, so it should be a competitive game. The Steelers have been better recently, but the Falcons made some serious upgrades this offseason. Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms doesn’t believe the Falcons will win this game though.
On a recent episode of his podcast, Chris Simms Unbuttoned, Simms explained why he’s picking the Steelers to beat the Falcons.
“It’s the Steelers,” Simms said. “The Steelers, the one thing I’m not worried about is they’re gonna be ready to hit, tackle, and play football on Sunday afternoon. The Atlanta Falcons? I am a little worried about that.
“When you have a quarterback that hasn’t done jack diddly-shit either, and he’s coming off an Achilles injury, and he couldn’t run that well anyways? Now it’s T.J. Watt and blitz zones and everything crazy going on around you there.”
Simms is correct that the Steelers always seems ready to inflict punishment on opposing offenses. However, that really shouldn’t be the defining factor in this matchup. It will be the offense that likely determines if the Steelers can win or not.
On paper, the Falcons look to have a much better offense than the Steelers. They have a more established offensive line, several high draft picks invested into their skill-position players, and a proven veteran quarterback. However, as Simms alludes to, quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered a major injury last year.
While Cousins will be ready for Week 1, it’s unclear what state he is in after the injury. Tearing your Achilles is one of the worst injuries in sports, and it isn’t an easy thing to bounce back from. Cousins is also 36 years old, which makes him no spring chicken. Simms is a little harsh saying Cousins hasn’t done anything in the NFL, but he is correct that the injury could hold him back.
Cousins could also be perfectly fine against the Steelers, and in that scenario, they could very well lose. For now, it sounds like Simms is betting on the tenacity of the Steelers to help them pull out a win. Hopefully Russell Wilson’s injury doesn’t become a problem for the Steelers as well. Until the dust settles, it’s hard to predict how this battle will end.
