The Falcons’ Week 1 trip to Acrisure Stadium ended the way plenty of bad openers do: with more questions than answers and a 20-13 loss that felt uglier than the final score suggested.
Atlanta arrived short-handed and had to lean on Cooper Rush with both Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa out injured, and that setup never really gave the offense a chance to breathe. Rush’s afternoon was rough from start to finish, the unit never found a rhythm, and the Falcons spent most of the day trying to survive rather than threaten Pittsburgh.
That’s what made the final margin misleading. The Steelers were hardly sharp enough to run away with it, either.
They left a lot of points on the field, failed to capitalize on several Falcons turnovers, and only really cashed in on the T.J. Watt pick-six.
DK Metcalf also struggled to come up with catches, which helped keep the game closer on the scoreboard than it looked on the field.
Rush’s stat line told the story of the game: 12 completions on 22 attempts for 143 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was bottled up by the Steelers’ defense, couldn’t push the ball beyond five air yards, and needed Bijan Robinson to keep the Falcons from completely falling apart.
Atlanta’s staff had already decided he was healthy enough to start despite the back spasms, but the performance made that call look even worse. It was baffling, too, that Kevin Stefanski never seemed to seriously consider Jack Strand after how ineffective Rush was.
Robinson was the one player who kept Atlanta from disappearing entirely. The Falcons finished with 238 total yards, and Robinson accounted for 173 of them - 83 on the ground and 90 through the air.
That was 72.7% of the team’s offense. With the quarterback situation what it was, the game plan clearly centered on getting the ball to No. 7, and he carried the whole thing.
Drake London and Kyle Pitts ended up getting squeezed by that usage, but Robinson still showed why Ian Cunningham signed off on the lucrative three-year extension this summer.
There were positives on the other side of the ball, too. Jeff Ulbrich’s defense held up better than the offense did, getting after Aaron Rodgers, limiting Pittsburgh’s passing game and holding firm against the run.
Za’Darius Smith was the standout in his Falcons debut, delivering two sacks and three tackles for loss. The 32-year-old was listed on the injury report during the week, but the shoulder issue didn’t seem to slow him down.
The discipline problems were impossible to miss, though. Atlanta piled up nine penalties for 96 yards, and the offensive line took plenty of the heat.
Jawaan Taylor, one of the league’s most penalized linemen, drew a flag and did little to calm the concerns around him. He spent much of the afternoon getting worked over by Watt, and the pick-six was the low point: he stood there and watched Watt go into the end zone instead of making a real attempt to stop him.
In Other News...
Falcons Loss Put Kevin Stefanskis QB Judgment Under Immediate Fire
Kevin Stefanskis head coaching debut with the Falcons did not take long to turn into a referendum on the quarterback decision that helped shape it. With Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa sidelined by injury, Atlanta went with Cooper Rush against the Steelers even though he was working through back spasms, a choice that drew immediate scrutiny once the loss was in the books.
Stefanski defended the call after the game, saying Rush was healthy enough to start and that the Falcons never seriously considered turning to rookie Jack Strand. For a first game in charge, the result left Stefanski with more questions than answers, especially after a lineup choice so closely tied to the way the game played out. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Loss Feels Even Worse After What Followed In Pittsburgh
The Falcons left Pittsburgh with a Week 1 loss, and the sting of a 20-13 defeat only got sharper once Aaron Rodgers started talking about it afterward. Pittsburgh leaned on Rodgers volume and his connection with DK Metcalf, who was targeted 10 times and finished with four catches for 40 yards, while Atlanta came away needing answers after letting an early opportunity slip.
Rodgers then turned the postgame conversation toward the officiating, saying the Steelers were denied multiple interference calls involving Metcalf and other players. Now the league may take a closer look at those remarks, adding another layer to a night that already felt frustrating for Atlanta and even more aggravating once the aftermath played out. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Already Face An Uncomfortable Jack Strand Decision
Quarterback turbulence has already become part of the Falcons early-season conversation, and the injuries to Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa have only tightened the pressure around the position. Cooper Rush has been the starter in the meantime, but the early returns have not quieted the debate, especially with fans and media looking for any path that might give Atlanta a steadier hand under center.
ESPNs Marc Raimondi reported that the Falcons do not believe undrafted rookie Jack Strand is ready to start, which makes a quick change look unlikely for now. So while the speculation around Strand has grown, Atlanta appears committed to keeping the plan measured, even if the search for answers at quarterback is still very much unresolved. [Read more 🡒]