The Pittsburgh Steelers got the win in Week 1, but the offense left a lot of questions hanging after a 20-13 victory over the Falcons.
On the surface, the box score was ugly. Pittsburgh finished with 264 total yards, converted just 3 of 13 third downs, and scored only 13 offensive points.
T.J. Watt’s spectacular interception return for a touchdown was the difference-maker in the home opener against a Cooper Rush-led Atlanta team, and without it, the result might have looked very different.
That kind of outing can make a new offense look stale fast. For Steelers fans, it had the feel of the same low-ceiling, grind-it-out attack that’s defined too many recent seasons in Pittsburgh. But the bigger takeaway from Sunday is that the problems were more about execution than design.
Aaron Rodgers is still carrying some obvious limitations at 42, finishing 24 of 40 for 223 yards. DK Metcalf had multiple mental mistakes. And the run game can’t be treated like an afterthought if this offense wants to work the way it’s supposed to.
Even so, there were signs of a different approach. Rodgers pushed the ball downfield more aggressively than last year, and the underlying numbers back that up. His 5.6 yards per attempt would have tied for his fourth-worst mark in 2025, but his 10.1 average depth of target would have tied for his highest game mark from last season, according to Pro Football Focus ($).
In other words, the Steelers were taking shots. They just didn’t land.
Roman Wilson nearly hauled in a touchdown from more than 40 yards out, and there was also what looked like a missed pass interference on another deep ball to Metcalf. Still, none of Rodgers’ six passes traveling more than 20 yards were completed, according to Next Gen Stats.
That part of the field is naturally volatile, so the empty results don’t erase the intent. The more interesting area to watch going forward is the intermediate game, where Rodgers was sharp against Atlanta.
He threw seven passes between 10 and 19 yards downfield, which accounted for 17.5% of his attempts. That was one of the lower rates in Week 1, but it was still a jump from his 2025 season-long rate of 14.3%, a number that was the lowest in the league last season, according to PFF ($). And against the Falcons, he made those throws count: five completions, 87 yards, and the Steelers’ only passing touchdown.
If that usage climbs closer to 20% on a regular basis, Pittsburgh should be able to lean less on checkdowns and short completions just to stay on schedule. Plenty of the league’s best passing games last season got there by living in that window for a reason.
There is risk there, of course. That area of the field gets crowded in a hurry, with linebackers and box safeties squeezing throwing lanes. But Rodgers showed he can still fit throws into tight windows, including one to Pat Freiermuth that showed the kind of touch this offense will need.
The ground game was a much simpler issue. Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle had almost no room to work, and nearly all of their combined 61 rushing yards came after contact. The offensive line didn’t control Atlanta’s front seven the way many expected, and if the Steelers want the run game to matter, that has to improve.
For now, there’s reason to believe this can settle in. The rushing attack should improve enough to keep Rodgers from having to throw 40 times every week.
The challenge gets tougher now, with the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots coming to town. That should give a better read on whether Pittsburgh’s new offensive philosophy can turn into real production once the reps pile up.
In Other News...
T.J. Watt Just Reignited A Steelers Debate Fans Never Dropped
T.J. Watt wasted little time reminding everyone why the Steelers pass rush still runs through him. His Week 1 performance drew a 92.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the best mark among 98 EDGE rushers, and it came with two sacks and a pick-six that gave Pittsburgh an early jolt to the season. For a player already at the center of one of the NFLs most familiar defensive debates, it was the kind of opener that puts the conversation right back on the table.
Myles Garrett, meanwhile, is dealing with a very different start to his year. In his Los Angeles Rams debut, he was graded at 64.7 before landing on the reserve/injured list after knee surgery, leaving his status far from the center of the leagues weekly edge-rusher hierarchy. For Steelers fans, the comparison has never really gone away, and Watts opening statement only sharpened the contrast. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Still Have One Obvious Fit In This Steelers Situation
The Steelers entered the season with a familiar tension around a young defensive cornerstone, as Joey Porter Jr. still does not have a contract extension in place. His Week 1 absence because of a back injury only added another layer to the uncertainty, especially for a team that expected him to be part of its long-term plans on the outside.
Now the trade buzz around Porter is starting to follow him, with reports linking both the Chiefs and Lions as teams keeping an eye on his situation. Nothing official has happened, and it is still just speculation at this point, but for Pittsburgh it is the kind of subplot that can linger until the injury clears and the contract question gets addressed. [Read more 🡒]
Former Steelers Are Already Making Pittsburgh's Offseason Look Questionable
Week 1 offered a quick reminder that the Steelers offseason roster churn is being watched closely, especially when familiar faces start producing right away in new uniforms. Jonnu Smith made an impact for Green Bay with two catches for 50 yards, James Pierre picked off a pass in his first game with Minnesota, Isaac Seumalo helped Arizona open with a win, and Chuck Clark turned in a solid showing for Detroit.
For Pittsburgh, those results only add to the early scrutiny around the way the roster was reshaped in free agency. The Steelers moved on from players who found immediate roles elsewhere, and each strong debut makes the decisions behind those departures feel a little more important as the season gets underway. [Read more 🡒]