The Pittsburgh Steelers dominated the Atlanta Falcons in time of possession in Pittsburgh’s 18-10 Week 1 win, holding the ball for 35:24 compared to just 24:24 for Atlanta. Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth credited the team’s training camp for their ability to possess the ball and be better conditioned than their opponent.
“I think there was a lot of positives. The way we were able to possess the ball and move it down the field. I think that’s part of the reason why we go to Latrobe. We have such a hard training camp to prepare for the earlier parts of the season when teams are figuring out their conditioning in-stadium. We’re able to do that throughout our camp,” Freiermuth said via Steelers.com
The Steelers are one of just eight teams that train away from their home facility for training camp, and that, combined with the fact that the Steelers are in pads more than many teams, helps them prepare and be well-conditioned for the season. Add to that the fact that Atlanta rested their starters more than Pittsburgh in the preseason, and the difference in readiness was apparent.
Pittsburgh’s defense forcing Atlanta into three turnovers also played a part in the time-of-possession battle, but Pittsburgh proved it was able to sustain drives and work its way down the field. They were methodical with their run game and didn’t take many shots downfield, relying on their ball control by bleeding the clock with the run and moving the chains.
It worked out, as the Steelers defense held the Falcons to just 10 points and a 10:41 time of possession in the second half. Between the turnovers and the pressure generated, the Falcons couldn’t stay on schedule and didn’t have a single drive that lasted longer than five plays in the second half. As the game wore on, the Steelers wore down Atlanta, and the fact that Mike Tomlin doesn’t make things easy on guys during training camp and the preseason is certainly a factor in that.
Pittsburgh’s conditioning will be tested in a big way next week as they head to Denver, one of the hardest places to play due to the elevation. The Broncos are also wearing their all-white uniforms, forcing the Steelers to wear black on a day that’s currently forecasted to have a high of 87 degrees. It’ll be a lot more difficult for the Steelers to wear down the Broncos next week, but they should be the more talented team, and if they can control the ball the same way they did against Atlanta, they’ll be in good shape.
