Falcons vs. Steelers preview Week 1
Here's everything you need to know when the Atlanta Falcons play the Pittsburg Steelers Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
Video Transcript
Atlanta Falcons fly west week one, launching the Kevin Stefanski era in the Steel City, hoping they can steal a win in this first game leading the Dirty Birds.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Let's go, boy.
Yep, here we go.
It's a battle of two new head coaches as the Pittsburgh Steelers go without Mike Tomlin for the first time since 2006.
Mike McCarthy leading the team he grew up rooting for, reunited with his old quarterback, hoping it goes as well as it did for Captain and Tenille.
The Terrible Towels are out, and a sold-out crowd at Acrisure Stadium is ready.
And we all too are reunited, and it feels so good because it means the 2026 regular season is near.
If you've never watched an NFL Game Preview and you're sure I am AI, well, I'm sorry to break it to you, you are surely wrong.
These are 100% natural, no silicone enhancements.
Keep your eyes up here.
Football's about to happen.
Let's go!
We've got 10 storylines to watch queued up as a way to preview this week one matchup, starting with the beginning of the end of the Aaron Rodgers era.
Hey, huh?
Got a great quarterback.
He'll be playing his final week one game.
He lit the stat sheet up with four TDs in last year's opener, but the previous four, not the best outings, one of them, the game he got hurt for the year.
What will his final season opener look like?
Has it in the end zone.
Touchdown, Jakelin Metcalf!
On the other side of the ball, Atlanta's quarterback, they decided to go with the lefty.
A guy who has plenty of experience in the National Football League and says he wants to rejuvenate that right here in Atlanta.
Yeah, you know, the southpaw who didn't have the greatest 2025, but has flashed potential as being a guy who can get the job done.
Got it to the end zone.
Touchdown, Drake London.
Michael Tungivaloa II appendix.
Preview went up on September 2nd, and they hadn't named a starter.
You guys are plenty capable of getting it, though.
This is very much a tomato, tomato scenario, which is why Kevin Stefanski delayed his decision.
So if you're watching after they picked between the two, hit the comment section and let the world know if you think they made the right call.
Quarterback position, the Falcons aren't asking their quarterback, whoever that may be, to be Superman.
Just drive the Batmobile.
With all those weapons out there, they're everywhere, just get the ball to where it needs to go.
Of course, if you're not watching Bijan, then you can assume you haven't been watching football for the last three years.
Bijan bounces inside the 10, keeps his feet at the five, spins into the end zone.
Robinson is a highlight machine, can break a big one off whenever he touches the ball.
Goes Bijan Robinson, keeps his feet.
His peak rush performance in his three week one games, just 68 yards, only 24 last year, but with 100 receiving yards- Bijan, 25, 20, 15, ten, five.
Touchdown, Atlanta!
He will no doubt be the focal point for Pittsburgh's defense.
It's a foot race.
House call?
Are you serious?
How many times he gets checked down to could depend on how much pressure Pittsburgh's pass rush generates.
Cameron Hayward in the middle.
Pressure coming, and Cam Hayward with the sack.
Uh-oh!
Come on, Cam!
Come on!
Let's go!
With Keanu Benton and Derek Harmon, and off the edge, Alex Highsmith, nine-and-a-half sacks last year, led the team.
Alex Highsmith comes up with a sack.
Nick Herbig, seven-and-a-half, and T.J. Watt, of course, seven last year.
Is now the Watt family all-time sacks leader.
I mean, if he's gonna pass my record, that's one hell of a way to do it.
But is that guy when it comes to hunting down quarterbacks?
He lines up in front of right tackles, so he'll be mano a mano with Atlanta's new right tackle, Jawan Taylor.
Boy, did Justin Fields get walloped.
Will Atlanta's pass rush be as effective as it was last year?
In trouble, ball is fumbled.
It's scooped up James Pierce.
Dirty Birds finished second sacks, but are forging ahead without Jalen Walker, who tore his ACL, and no James Pierce, led the team with ten-and-a-half bags as a rookie, suspended.
Signed veteran Zadarius Smith, only five games with Philadelphia last year, a nine-sack dude in 2024, though, and they still have Brandon Dorlus, who dropped eight-and-a-half quarterbacks in his second season.
Jones can't get away this time!
They'll be trying to hurry Rodgers up so he can't use his new receivers.
He still has D.K.
Metcalf, who was kind of the only consistent pass-catching threat last year.
Floats it out for Metcalf, elevates, and makes the catch.
But he will be joined by Jeremy Bernard, he was a second-round pick in the draft, and hopefully Michael Pittman, who led the Colts in receptions in 2025, but he hurt his hamstring late in preseason.
He's hoping he's healed up enough to play, but keep your eyes on his status as the game gets closer.
He's in!
He stretched the ball across the goal line.
Atlanta's passing attack now being guided by Kevin Stefanski, of course, Falcons' new head coach, will call the offense.
They bring in the two-time Coach of the Year, Kevin Stefanski, who has tough, smart, physical football on his resume.
Jahan Dotson debuts in black and red, was with Philadelphia last year.
Olamide Zaccheaus is back after a few years away.
Former Falcon was with Chicago in 2025.
This is Zaccheaus, finds the edge.
Zaccheaus lunging.
Both expecting to chip in, but neither should steal too many targets from tight end Kyle Pitts, who looked the part of a top-tier tight end finally.
Oh!
Hey!
Push off!
Push!
Kyle Pitts.
Touchdown, Atlanta!
And Drake London, who has always looked the part of a WR1.
Drake London has done it again.
This is an unbelievable grab.
We're gonna see exactly what a Stefanski-led Atlanta offense looks like.
Michael Step shoots it down the field, London.
Those dudes doing battle with a new look Pittsburgh secondary.
Two new starters make their Pittsburgh debuts.
Safety Ja'Quan Brisker, former Bear, and corner Jamel Dean, played really well for Tampa the last few years.
Jamel Dean Touchdown Tampa Bay Will he be out there with Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr.?
Throws and it is intercepted.
Joey Porter Jr.
Both guys also dealing with physical ailments when this was written, both hoping to make a go of it.
Falcons secondary has new blood too.
Avion Terrell debuts, second round pick in the draft, AJ's little brother.
Safety's Xavier Watts, who's looking to build off a fine rookie year.
It's intercepted, Xavier Watts.
And stud Jessie Bates.
The battle between them and Pittsburgh's pass catchers should be good stuff, too.
Jessie Bates, 20, 15, 10, five, house call.
Rounding out our 10, Pittsburgh's new look rush attack, which now features Henkel McCringleberry, Rico Dowdle with 1,000 yards in Carolina last year, and who got jobbed by that ref who clearly doesn't know two pumps is supposed to be okay.
One, two, ahh.
He joins Jalen Warren to form what could be a very sneaky good one-two punch.
And Warren races into the end zone for the Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown.
Gonna cut it off there, leave some fodder for you guys to explore in the comments section.
What other players or topics are you gonna be locked in on?
Lay it all out in written form along with your score prediction.
Steelers have dominated the Falcons.
How about a 16 to two record versus the Dirty Birds?
One tie mixed in there.
Before we close shop with our new look picks panel, let's check out how that 2002 game left each team kissing their sister, as they say.
It was a crazy finish.
Anybody out there go to that game?
After four straight wins, the Steelers seemed to be on the fast track to the playoffs.
In week 10 against the Falcons, Maddox and the passing game kicked in to an even higher gear.
Maddox threw for a team record 473 yards, and Plaxico Burress set a Steelers mark with 253 receiving yards while scoring two touchdowns.
The game, however, went to overtime and on the final play of the day, Maddox took one last shot at the win.
Maddox is back.
He steps up and here's the rainbow.
Whoa.
He's got a chance.
He's got a chance.
And it's down the end zone and there are people down there.
He's got it.
Come on.
And it's caught.
Plaxico's got it, but he's out of the end zone.
Short of the goal line.
Oh.
And this game ends as a 34-34 overtime tie.
