Steelers Beat Falcons 20-13 in Week 1
Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Atlanta Falcons 13 at Acrisure Stadium. Aaron Rodgers went 24 of 40 for 221 yards with 1 touchdown.
Quarter Scoring
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Falcons | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
 Steelers | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
Steelers Leaders
Falcons Leaders
Team Stats
| Falcons | Stat | Steelers |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | 1st Downs | 15 |
| 4 | Passing 1st downs | 10 |
| 9 | Rushing 1st downs | 3 |
| 3 | 1st downs from penalties | 2 |
| 2-12 | 3rd down efficiency | 3-13 |
| 0-0 | 4th down efficiency | 0-2 |
| 57 | Total Plays | 64 |
| 238 | Total Yards | 264 |
| 4.2 | Yards per Play | 4.1 |
| 13 | Total Drives | 13 |
| 118 | Passing | 206 |
| 12/22 | Comp/Att | 24/41 |
| 4.5 | Yards per pass | 4.8 |
| 2 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
| 4-25 | Sacks-Yards Lost | 2-15 |
| 120 | Rushing | 58 |
| 31 | Rushing Attempts | 21 |
| 3.9 | Yards per rush | 2.8 |
| 0-0 | Red Zone (Made-Att) | 1-2 |
| 9-96 | Penalties | 7-52 |
| 2 | Turnovers | 1 |
| 0 | Fumbles lost | 1 |
| 2 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
| 0 | Defensive / Special Teams TDs | 1 |
| 31:07 | Possession | 28:53 |
Scoring Plays
7 scores Week 1: Rodgers and McCarthy Reunite as Falcons Visit Pittsburgh
Read the full recap →The Atlanta Falcons open at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, September 13, in Mike McCarthy's first game as Pittsburgh's head coach and Aaron Rodgers' announced final season. Atlanta named Tua Tagovailoa its starter on Sept. 7, then lost him to an oblique strain in Thursday's practice; Cooper Rush starts, with Michael Penix Jr. still inactive as he works back from his torn ACL and undrafted rookie Jack Strand as the backup. The Falcons also open without both starting edge rushers, with Jalon Walker out for the year and James Pearce Jr. suspended eight games, while Pittsburgh's DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. both say they are ready after missing time in camp and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is unlikely to play with a back injury amid an unresolved contract standoff.
Cooper Rush starts after Tagovailoa's oblique strain
Rush, 32, is 9-7 as a career starter and threw four interceptions without a touchdown in limited work for Baltimore last year. Stefanski called Tagovailoa week-to-week and said Penix was never an option this week.
Pittsburgh's new coach and an old partnership
McCarthy and Rodgers spent 13 seasons together in Green Bay and won a Super Bowl. Rodgers, 42, has said this is his last year.
The Falcons' pass rush is gutted
Of the eight Atlanta players who generated 25 or more pressures last season, only one is healthy and on the roster.
Pregame AI Prediction
How the prediction did
Predicted 17-23 (Falcons vs Steelers), final was 13-20. Pittsburgh won 20-13 in Mike McCarthy's debut, matching the projected winner and within a point of the projected margin.
Falcons Steelers Atlanta cannot pressure Rodgers
Without Walker and Pearce, the Falcons lack the edge rush that made their defense work last year, and Rodgers with time is still accurate.
A third-string-caliber quarterback on the road
Rush signed after camp opened and has had one week as the starter, and he faces T.J. Watt at Acrisure Stadium behind a line he has barely played with.
Pittsburgh's own transition limits the margin
A new head coach, a new play-caller and receivers who missed camp time keep the projected margin under a touchdown.
The pick is driven by Atlanta's missing pass rushers and was built to hold regardless of which Falcons quarterback started. Tagovailoa's injury and Rush starting only strengthen the lean; the projected score is unchanged.
Venue
Closing Line
Officials
Futures odds for these teams
Super Bowl futures, win totals & where to bet
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Steelers Injuries