The Pittsburgh Steelers have had months to circle their Week 1 opener against the Atlanta Falcons, and the matchup has already started to get treated like a comfortable home win in some preseason projections. That might be getting ahead of things.
Atlanta has already made its quarterback call, and the Falcons are also dealing with major absences off the edge after losing Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. Even so, there’s enough uncertainty here to keep Pittsburgh from cruising into Sunday with any assumptions.
To get a better read on what the Steelers are walking into, I caught up with Blogging Dirty site expert Jason Kandel for a Week 1 Q&A. He weighed in on the quarterback decision, the pass rush, the rookie names to know, and where Atlanta might be able to make this interesting.
The biggest quarterback note is that the Falcons went with Tua Tagovailoa over Michael Penix Jr. for Week 1. Kandel said that choice came down to health, not a true battle for the job. Penix was only cleared for full contact a little over two weeks ago, and that simply didn’t give him enough practice time for Kevin Stefanski - or Penix himself - to feel good about starting him after another ACL tear.
Atlanta’s pass-rush situation is also worth watching closely. With Walker out for the year and Pearce suspended, the Falcons are thin at edge rusher, but Kandel doesn’t expect them to abandon their usual approach.
He said Jeff Ulbrich, in his first season as Atlanta’s defensive coordinator, liked to rush four and usually got pressure that way. Atlanta has only four true edge rushers on the roster, but the plan still appears to lean on that front.
He pointed to Brandon Dorlus as a player who could move back off the edge after lining up there in college. Dorlus had 8.5 sacks last year, and Harold Perkins Jr. could also get more edge snaps after showing pass-rush ability in college. Kandel also mentioned Za’Darius Smith as another key piece in that mix.
One of the more intriguing names in Atlanta is third-round pick Zachariah Branch, though Kandel described his summer as quieter than expected. Branch stood out in OTAs, but once pads came on in training camp, he didn’t leave as strong an impression, even if he flashed at times during the preseason.
That doesn’t mean he’s out of the picture. Kandel said the Falcons may still find creative ways to use him around the line of scrimmage, but in 3-WR sets, Olamide Zaccheus is expected to start over him, with Branch likely used in select packages.
As for the bigger picture, Kandel said he sees Atlanta in a more negative light than he did a year ago. He believes coaching held the Falcons back last season, and he thinks Stefanski will need time to shape the roster the way he wants.
Between the missing edge rushers and the injury questions in the quarterback room, Kandel said he isn’t confident Atlanta will make the playoffs. His view is that the Falcons will miss the postseason for the ninth straight season, though he also noted that anything can happen in the NFC South.
Still, he sees real value in what Stefanski brings to the organization. Kandel said the coach offers something Raheem Morris didn’t: stability.
He pointed to the coaching mistakes and late-game breakdowns that defined the 2025 Falcons and kept them out of the playoffs. In his view, the culture in Flowery Branch already feels different, and Stefanski has the kind of presence that could eventually end the drought.
He also said Stefanski got a rough deal in Cleveland and should benefit from working with more offensive talent and a more hands-off owner in Arthur Blank.
There are a few more names Steelers fans should keep on the radar. Kandel said the biggest training camp storyline was the quarterback situation, though he dismissed that as too obvious.
Instead, he highlighted fourth-round rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels, who took first-team reps for much of camp next to Divine Deablo. Daniels, listed at 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds, has drawn steady praise all summer and was listed as the starting linebacker on the Week 1 depth chart ahead of Christian Harris.
If Atlanta has a clear strength, Kandel believes it’s the secondary. Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts form what he called arguably the NFL’s best safety duo, and A.J.
Terrell anchors a cornerback group that also includes Mike Hughes and Avieon Terrell. That group, in his view, should help limit explosive plays even if the pass rush has issues.
The area Pittsburgh may want to attack is much more straightforward. Kandel said Atlanta was one of the worst run defenses in the NFL last season, which opens the door for Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren if Nate Ollie’s defensive line vision takes time to settle in.
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