The Pittsburgh Steelers put together a solid team effort to beat the Atlanta Falcons, 18-10, to open their season with a win, but it was the performance of K Chris Boswell that stood out. He nailed six field goals to put up all 18 of Pittsburgh’s points. S DeShon Elliott, who had an interception in his Pittsburgh debut, said that Boswell was the reason why the Steelers won.
“We didn’t win this game, Boz won this game. He did. Obviously one of the best kickers in the NFL,” Elliott said on the KDKA Extra Point show following Pittsburgh’s win.
Elliott’s obviously being humble, as the defense had an awesome performance, holding the Falcons scoreless in the second half and turning them over three times. But Boswell was also fantastic, nailing three 50-plus-yard field goals and two 40-plus yarders to keep the Steelers in the game and eventually give them the lead and the win.
Boswell has been a rock ever since signing with Pittsburgh in 2015. Outside of a blip in 2018 when he went just 13-of-20 on field goals, he’s been consistent. After today, he is 33-of-40 on 50-plus-yard field goals, which is an incredible mark. He’s one of the more underrated kickers in the league, and there’s a real argument for him being the top guy.
The Steelers moved the ball just enough to get in Boswell’s range, and while the offense wasn’t great and didn’t score a touchdown, it was able to avoid turnovers and get into scoring territory, while Boswell did enough. On the defensive end, the Steelers got pressure on Kirk Cousins and limited the Falcons’ offense as a whole in the second half. Elliott’s interception was one of two picks the Steelers had of Cousins.
It was a heck of a start to the season for Boswell, who’s likely a shoo-in for the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award. If he can kick with the consistency he did today, the Steelers’ offense is going to be in a solid spot.
In addition to being automatic on field goals, he also booted a 43-yard punt following an injury to Cameron Johnston in the fourth quarter. Two plays after that punt, CB Donte Jackson picked off Cousins and brought the Steelers to the red zone on the return.
It was a play that probably won’t get a lot of recognition, but the fact that he didn’t flub the punt was huge with the Steelers clinging to a five-point lead late in the game. He also nailed a 25-yard field goal late in the game after Johnston’s injury with Scotty Miller as his holder.
There’s no doubt that Boswell was one of the engines for the Steelers today, and it’s good to see him recognized by his teammates for his work against Atlanta.
