Watt and the Defense Carries The Steelers Over The Falcons
New season, new head coach. With the Mike McCarthy era officially underway, the Steelers battled through a myriad of issues on both sides of the ball. But when it was over, Pittsburgh walked out with a 20–13 win over the Falcons and a 1–0 start to the season.
Midway through the first quarter, the Steelers capped an 8‑play, 43‑yard march with a Chris Boswell field goal to go up 3–0. The drive’s spark came from a 20‑plus‑yard catch-and-run by Michael Pittman Jr., who broke open the middle of the field to flip the possession’s momentum.
Late in the quarter, running back Jaylen Warren was hit in the backfield and lost the ball, with Falcons defensive lineman Divine Deablo falling on the fumble. Atlanta capitalized quickly—Cooper Rush found Bijan Robinson on a 23‑yard catch-and-run for the touchdown, flipping the scoreboard to a 7–3 Falcons lead.
Early in the second quarter, a pass‑interference call pushed the Steelers deep into Falcons territory, but the offense couldn’t cash in on the opportunity. After stalling near the goal line, they settled for another Chris Boswell field goal, trimming the deficit to one.
On the ensuing series, the Steelers defense delivered a momentum‑swinging play as safety Jaquan Brisker jumped a route for an interception. Capitalizing on the short field, Aaron Rodgers later found Pat Freiermuth on a 6‑yard strike in the end zone, putting Pittsburgh back in front.
To open the second half, Falcons kicker Nick Folk pushed his second field‑goal attempt of the day wide, handing the Steelers possession with a chance to flip momentum. But Pittsburgh couldn’t take advantage—the drive stalled quickly, and they came away empty. After another failed attempt on 4th down, the Falcons would convert their opportunity into point, courtesy of Folk's field goal to cut the Steelers lead to just three, late in the third quarter.
If there was one Steeler who took over the game, it was linebacker T.J. Watt. After another stalled offensive series, Watt flipped the stadium on its head—jumping Cooper Rush’s pass and racing 35 yards for the pick‑six to make it 20–10. Atlanta answered with a field goal on the ensuing drive, but the Steelers still held a 20–13 lead.
On the ensuing Steelers posession, Boswell would miss a 56-yard field, giving the Falcons the ball late in the fourth quarter.
Despite the many missed opportunities in this game by the Steelers offense, they would get together late in the contest before the two-minute warning. Warren's first down would ultimately seal the deal, helping them escape with a well-earned victory.
Vintage T.J Watt
Vintage T.J. Watt. After a turbulent 2025 season, plenty wondered whether the All‑Pro edge rusher would ever return to form. Not only did he answer that question, he dominated—arguably becoming the most impactful player on a defensive unit that piled up four sacks, seven tackles for loss, and two interceptions.
Watt was everywhere, finishing with four tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, a pass breakup, and a pick‑six that blew the game open late.
Defense Comes Through
Equally impressive was defensive tackle Cam Heyward, who disrupted Atlanta’s interior all afternoon and finished with three pass deflections while blowing up multiple plays at the line of scrimmage. Off the edge, Alex Highsmith added two sacks on two quarterback hits, consistently collapsing Cooper Rush’s pocket.
Linebacker Payton Wilson was a workhorse, leading the team with 13 tackles, including two for loss - one of his most complete outings as a pro.
Among the standouts in the secondary was safety Jaquan Brisker, who finished with an interception and six tackles, flying downhill and closing space all afternoon. Cornerback Jamel Dean was just as effective, stacking five tackles — including two run‑stuffs .
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