For the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday’s trip to Acrisure Stadium is more than just a season opener. It’s the first real chance to see how this team looks in the Kevin Stefanski era, and it comes against a Steelers team with plenty of moving parts of its own.
Atlanta hasn’t played a regular-season game since the first week of January, and the questions surrounding the 2026 version of the Falcons start immediately. They also head into a matchup they’ve never won on the road against Pittsburgh. That makes Week 1 a useful early test, especially with the Falcons facing a Steelers team that just made a major coaching change and reshaped its offense.
To get a better read on what Atlanta is walking into, I spoke with Still Curtain site expert Tommy Jaggi. He laid out how Pittsburgh views its own outlook after replacing Mike Tomlin with Mike McCarthy, what to expect from Aaron Rodgers, and where the Steelers may still be vulnerable.
Jaggi said Tomlin’s value was clear, but also argued that the Steelers needed a different kind of ceiling.
“Mike Tomlin always did one thing well-raise his team's floor. But the Steelers need to raise their ceiling, and it was time for a change. Mike McCarthy is an established NFL coach who will call the offense, and it's hard to imagine his offensive play-calling looking worse than the last eight combined years of Arthur Smith, Matt Canada, and Randy Fichtner.”
He added that Pittsburgh may not be a true contender yet, but the offense could be better than it has been.
"I'm not confident the Steelers are suddenly a contender, but there is hope they will have a higher offensive ceiling in 2026, which could make them more threatening."
Rodgers is the other major piece of the puzzle. Pittsburgh’s reunion with McCarthy is the headline, and Jaggi believes the quarterback still has something left despite entering his age-43 season.
“If this were another year of Aaron Rodgers and Arthur Smith, we wouldn't have much reason for confidence. Advanced metrics showed just how timid Rodgers was in 2025. However, the reunion could spark something that's been missing in the aging QB since 2021.”
“Rodgers won't suddenly play at a Pro Bowl level again, but he's still got arm talent. Despite entering his age-43 season, Rodgers could see a slight uptick in production and efficiency, thanks to a McCarthy-led offense.”
That offensive shift matters because McCarthy is expected to run things differently than Smith did. Jaggi pointed to personnel usage and a more aggressive approach to getting the ball to the right players.
“Historically, McCarthy has run more 11 personnel groupings than Smith, but it's more than that. McCarthy is a wizard when it comes to getting his best football players the ball and exploiting the soft spots of the defense. He should do a much better job of recognizing the talent and skill set of his players and putting them to good use.”
“Though the Steelers still plan to run the football often with Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh will be more pass-oriented than they've been perhaps in any season since 2018.”
There’s also familiarity on the Pittsburgh side when it comes to Stefanski. Jaggi noted that the Steelers’ history against the Browns coach hasn’t been nearly as dominant as their broader track record against Cleveland might suggest.
“Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers' historical dominance against the Cleveland Browns, they have an all-time record of just 6-6 against Kevin Stefanski (including an ugly playoff loss in January 2021). Meanwhile, McCarthy brought in an almost entirely new coaching staff, so this team will need to figure out Coach Stefanski all over again.”
“The reunion against the former AFC North coach in Week 1 will be fun for fans, but the Steelers didn't exactly have him figured out.”
As for Pittsburgh’s offseason, Jaggi pointed to Rodgers’ return as the biggest sign the team is trying to avoid a long playoff drought. He also mentioned the addition of Michael Pittman Jr. and the potential help from Germie Bernard.
“The return of Rodgers was a swift indication that the Steelers are all in to avoid a ten-year drought without a playoff win. Outside of Rodgers' return, the trade acquisition of Michael Pittman Jr. should give the Steelers a more respectable WR2 than they've had in several years. Second-round pick Germie Bernard could also help.”
He did add that the rookie class may take time. Max Iheanachor is projected at right tackle, but there will be growing pains, and Drew Allar and Daylen Everette are not expected to help right away.
Training camp was quieter than usual, Jaggi said, with no live tackling and three practices cut short by weather. Still, there were a few things worth watching, especially in the slot receiver competition.
“The Steelers had a relatively quiet training camp, with no live tackling and three practices cut short due to weather. But the slot receiver battle drew buzz as 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson and 2026 sixth-round pick Germie Bernard battled for slot duties. Both players will find themselves in this role at times in Week 1 and will look to make the most of their opportunities.”
He also flagged linebacker Payton Wilson and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. as names Falcons fans should keep in mind, especially with Joey Porter Jr.’s status uncertain.
“Falcons fans should also keep an eye out for Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson, who had an excellent summer. Meanwhile, cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.-who may have been the overall star of training camp-may be stepping into a big role in Week 1 with Joey Porter Jr's status up in the air.”
If Atlanta is looking for an opening, Jaggi pointed to one area in particular.
“The middle of the defense was a sieve last season, and after choosing to run it back with the same off-ball linebackers, the Steelers could struggle in this area once again.”
That gives the Falcons at least one obvious place to aim as they open the season and start answering the questions that come with Week 1.
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