The Steelers got the win in Week 1, but the offensive alarm bells were impossible to ignore.
Pittsburgh’s 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons didn’t do anything to solve a problem that’s been hanging around for years: the first-quarter drought that keeps dragging this offense down before it ever gets rolling. The Steelers still have not scored more than seven points in the first quarter of a regular-season or playoff game since Sept. 11, 2022, against the Cincinnati Bengals. That’s now 71 games, including 69 in the regular season, without a fast start.
Against Atlanta, the Steelers managed only three points in the opening quarter and trailed 7-3. Aaron Rodgers had a rough start, the running game never found its footing, and the offensive line didn’t hold up well enough to settle things down. As a whole, the unit looked out of sync.
The new era with Mike McCarthy calling plays was supposed to bring a different feel - more work over the middle, a deeper target profile, and Rodgers hanging in the pocket longer to let plays develop. Instead, the first quarter offered a little of everything fans have already seen too much of: shaky blocking, limited room to run, and receivers who weren’t separating consistently. Jaylen Warren’s early fumble only made the picture uglier.
The Falcons were also missing their pair of first-round edge rushers, Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., but that didn’t make life noticeably easier for Pittsburgh’s offense.
By halftime, Rodgers was 14 of 26 for 131 yards, 5.0 yards per attempt, and a touchdown. Rico Dowdle and Warren combined for 21 rushing yards on 10 carries, good for 2.1 yards per carry over the first two quarters. The Steelers as a team averaged just 3.8 yards per play in the first half.
Fortunately for Pittsburgh, the defense did the heavy lifting. Atlanta was held to just 94 first-half yards, and that side of the ball ended up carrying the Steelers to the Week 1 win.
No one is throwing out the entire season after one game, and nobody should. But after years of uneven offensive play under three different coordinators over the last five years, Steelers fans were hoping for something cleaner and more convincing to open the McCarthy era. They didn’t get it.
The season is still young, and there’s time for Rodgers and the offense to settle in. But after this start, Pittsburgh has work to do.
In Other News...
Steelers New Look Still Leaves One Big Problem To Solve
The Steelers came out of their latest game looking different on both sides of the ball, and not just in the usual early-season, we-need-to-see-more way. Aaron Rodgers was more willing to test defenses downfield, while the front seven kept rotating T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith in ways that suggested a more flexible pass-rush approach than in years past. Pittsburgh also mixed in plenty of two-tight-end looks, and the snap counts for Germie Bernard and Roman Wilson offered another small reminder that this offense is still sorting out who fits where.
Even with the changes, the game still kept circling back to the same old frustration: missed chances. Drops and inaccurate throws broke up drives that had enough going for them to matter, which is why the new look feels promising without yet feeling complete. The Steelers have shown they can create different answers schematically, but until the passing game cleans up the finishing work, the biggest question on the roster is still waiting for a real solution. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Suddenly Have Real Reason To Worry About Joey Porter Jr
For a Steelers team that has tried to build its identity around young, physical defense, Joey Porter Jr. suddenly finding his name in trade chatter is the kind of development that lands hard. NFL Networks Ian Rapoport pointed to the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions as possible destinations for the cornerback, with Pittsburgh still working through a contract dispute that has added another layer of uncertainty around one of its most important young defenders.
The Lions have reportedly shown interest, while the Chiefs are searching for help at cornerback after injuries and trades thinned that room. Any move would still have to clear a complicated path, though, with Porters contract demands and Kansas Citys salary cap situation making a deal far from simple. For now, it is less about where Porter might go than the fact that the Steelers have reached the point where such a conversation is even happening. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Week 1 Usage Raised Some Early Lineup Questions
Week 1 gave the Steelers an early look at how this defense and offense may be leaning under their current personnel mix, and the snap counts were hard to miss. T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward were on the field less than fans have grown used to seeing, while Jalen Ramsey and Payton Wilson barely came off it. On offense, rookie Germie Bernard had a limited role, but Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington were both featured heavily as Pittsburgh worked through its first game plan of the season.
The usage patterns do not settle many questions so much as they open them up. Reduced workloads for Watt and Heyward can be explained plenty of ways in a season opener, but they still stand out when paired with the near every-snap roles for Ramsey and Wilson and the tight end-heavy approach on offense. For a team trying to sort out its weekly identity early, the first-round of snap counts offered a clearer view of who the Steelers trust right away and a few more spots where the rotation still feels unsettled. [Read more 🡒]