For two new members of the Pittsburgh Steelers, their Week 1 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons was a homecoming of sorts. Quarterback Justin Fields grew up in nearby Kennesaw, Georgia and began his college career with the Georgia Bulldogs before eventually transferring to Ohio State. Steelers new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith spent the last three seasons as the head coach of the Falcons.
After three consecutive 7-10 seasons, the Falcons decided to move on from Arthur Smith and replace him with Raheem Morris in the offseason, setting the stage for Smith to get some form of revenge in Week 1 even though his firing was perfectly justified.
In the end, Pittsburgh got the job done for their new OC, and after the game, Justin Fields spoke about what getting the win for Smith meant.
“Oh, it meant a lot. I know Art, I know how fiery he is. I know how competitive he is, so it definitely meant a lot,” Fields said, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “And I know, shoot, he wishes just like me that we could have put even more points on the board.”
While the Steelers were able to move the ball throughout the afternoon, even outgaining what is expected to be a high-octane Falcons offense, it was the right leg of veteran kicker Chris Boswell that put all 18 points on the board for Pittsburgh. According to ESPN Stats and Info, Boswell is the first kicker in Steelers history to connect on three 50-yard field goals.
Steelers ride defense and special teams to opening week win
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The Steelers followed a tried and true formula to go into Atlanta and score a Week 1 upset: play awesome defense, deliver on special teams, and pound the hell out of the pigskin. For the game, the Steelers rushed for 137 yards — 57 of which came Justin Fields. But the statement came on the defensive side of the ball.
Not only did Pittsburgh keep Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson in check, limiting the 2nd-year back to just 68 yards on 17 carries, but TJ Watt and co. made life hell for Kirk Cousins in his first game back from an achilles tear. Cousins was sacked twice and intercepted another two times, and was limited to just 155 yards, his third-lowest total in the last three seasons.
The Steelers will play their second consecutive game on the road next week when they travel to the Mile High City to face the Denver Broncos, potentially setting the stage for another revenge game if Russell Wilson is back on the field.
