The Steelers enter Week 1 as the clear favorite, but nobody around Still Curtain is pretending this has to be pretty. Pittsburgh should have the edge at home, yet the feeling here is that Atlanta’s injuries and the Steelers’ own early-season rust could keep this opener tighter than the spread might suggest.
A big part of the conversation starts with the Falcons’ injury list. Several starters missed a lot of practice time during the week, putting their availability in doubt for Sunday in Pittsburgh. Depth players could be in the same boat, and that only adds to the pressure on Atlanta heading into the opener.
Even with that in mind, the panel’s picks all landed on the Steelers. The split came in the score predictions, where some saw a comfortable home win and others expected a much more stressful finish.
Allison Koehler pointed to Pittsburgh’s recent run against Atlanta and the setting at Acrisure Stadium: "The Steelers have won five straight against Atlanta, while the Falcons remain winless in Pittsburgh at 0-7-1. With this matchup at Acrisure Stadium, the crowd will definitely play a role and help the Steelers’ defense control the game." Koehler picked Steelers 23-10.
Andrew Falce leaned the same way, though he left the door open for a rougher night than expected: "On paper, this should be an easy win. The Steelers feel like the better team and the team with the most improvements from the offseason.
However, the skeptic in me could easily see the Mike McCarthy era start on a bitter note with a disappointing loss. I'll err on the side of optimism, for now."
Falce went with Steelers 23-17.
Tommy Jaggi also backed Pittsburgh, noting how messy Atlanta’s quarterback situation looks and how much preparation time the Steelers have had: "The Falcons' quarterback situation is a mess, which makes the Joey Porter Jr. contract drama look like small potatoes. The Steelers have had weeks to prepare for their season opener at home.
It will take some time to mesh with the new coaching staff, but it's hard to see them losing this one." Jaggi predicted Steelers 24-16.
Loyal Ricks Jr. had the widest margin of the group, with the Steelers defense doing the heavy lifting: "Mike McCarthy and the Pittsburgh Steelers will begin the season with a slight handicap. Atlanta’s quarterback injuries give Patrick Graham’s defense a noticeable advantage.
I expect TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith to make the most of Cooper Rush starting. The Steelers defense leads McCarthy to his first win with the franchise.
Aaron Rodgers and the offense struggle, but do enough to maintain a lead." Ricks picked Steelers 24-10.
The final call still landed in the same neighborhood, just with a little more grime on it: Steelers 22, Falcons 18.
That kind of score fits the concerns surrounding Pittsburgh. The roster edge is there, and Atlanta’s injury situation only sharpens it, but the Steelers have been known to make games like this uncomfortable.
Their secondary has been banged up through the summer, and the lack of live snaps together could show early. The offense brings its own questions too, since few starters saw preseason action.
So while Aaron Rodgers and company are expected to make enough plays to keep points on the board, it may come in the form of field goals instead of touchdowns. Bijan Robinson is expected to have a strong impact, but Pittsburgh’s defense should settle in, especially with Cooper Rush at quarterback, and force Atlanta into more field goals than touchdowns.
If the Steelers handle the opener with some discipline, they should walk out of Week 1 at 1-0.
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