Following each game in the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers season, I will highlight the event or string of events in the game that was the turning point. Not all turning points will be earth-shattering but are meant to give a unique look at how we arrived at the outcome of the game, one that may be hard to see during the live watch.
This game followed the same formula as many of the Steelers’ wins over the last season or two. Play good defense, try to possess the ball and limit negative plays like turnovers on offense, and grind it out with the running game in the second half.
Only, the first half didn’t have the feeling of a game that would follow that script. The Atlanta Falcons marched right down the field on their first possession and likely would have scored a touchdown if not for a heroic play by rookie ILB Payton Wilson.
The defense tightened up after giving up an early field goal, but the offense wasn’t accomplishing much and was reliant on Chris Boswell hitting field goals from 50-plus yards out.
But they were able to get into more of a groove in the second half, and that was thanks in part to Justin Fields’ deep passes at the end of the first half.
Up until there were five minutes remaining in the first half, the deepest completion that Fields had was 12 yards to George Pickens. But in the final five minutes before halftime, Fields let it rip twice to Pickens deep down the field. One of them resulted in a highly questionable offensive pass interference call that nullified 36-yard completion. The other was a 41-yard completion to Pickens on the final offensive play of the half to set up a field goal.
The box was loaded with defenders for much of the game. According to Pro Football Focus, the Steelers were facing an average of 6.97 men in the box on early downs and 7.22 on late downs. That is a sign of a defense that doesn’t respect the pass, and it makes life harder on the run game.
Fields made them respect it a bit more with deep shots to Pickens late in the first half. As a result, the Steelers found more success on the ground in the second half as the game wore on.
It is probably no coincidence that Najee Harris had 37 yards on his first six carries of the second half after what transpired at the end of the first half. Out of the Steelers’ 137 rushing yards, 88 of them came in the second half. That helped them control the time of possession and ultimately win the game.
