Atlanta
Falcons
0-0
37
FINAL
34
Pittsburgh
Steelers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling season opener, the Atlanta Falcons narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 37-34 in Week 1 of the 2026 season. Both teams showcased their offensive firepower, but it was the Falcons who managed to hold off a late-game surge from the Steelers to secure the victory.
Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers had a standout performance, throwing for 283 yards and four touchdowns, connecting frequently with Michael Pittman, who racked up 114 receiving yards. Jaylen Warren added a solid ground game with 72 rushing yards, helping to keep the Steelers competitive throughout the contest. However, it was the Falcons' ability to respond swiftly with their own scoring plays that ultimately made the difference.
Defensively, the Falcons made critical plays when it mattered most, highlighted by Sydney Brown's two interceptions, which shifted momentum in Atlanta's favor. DeMarcco Hellams led the team with six total tackles, contributing to a stout performance in key moments. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Brown's second pick set up a decisive touchdown, allowing the Falcons to seal their hard-fought victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 33 | 21 | 64% | 283 | 4 | 3 | 92.5 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 28 | 20 | 71% | 281 | 2 | 1 | 112.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 18 | 72 | 4.0 | 29 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 15 | 21 | 1.4 | 19 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Nyheim Miller-Hines | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Khari Blasingame | FB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| KJ Hamler | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Pittman | WR | 6 | 114 | 19.0 | 62 | 1 | 54 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 5 | 89 | 17.8 | 32 | 1 | 35 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 7 | 87 | 12.4 | 16 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 5 | 77 | 15.4 | 29 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 4 | 55 | 13.8 | 28 | 2 | 24 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 3 | 45 | 15.0 | 19 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Jahan Dotson | WR | 2 | 37 | 18.5 | 22 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Olamide Zaccheaus | WR | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 15 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 3 | 11 | 3.7 | 17 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Austin Hooper | TE | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney Brown | SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| DeMarcco Hellams | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Hughes | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Shaq Thompson | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal Daniels | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasir Abdullah | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 2 | 3 | 4 | 42 |
| Nick Folk | K | 3 | 3 | 4 | 40 |

