Atlanta
Falcons
0-0
22
FINAL
24
Pittsburgh
Steelers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling season opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons 24-22, setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting 2026 campaign. Both teams showcased their offense, but it was the Steelers who ultimately held on to secure the victory.
Pittsburgh's Joe Milton was the standout performer, throwing for an impressive 348 yards, showcasing his arm strength and precision. He connected with Michael Pittman, who dominated the field with 125 receiving yards, making crucial catches that kept drives alive. On the other side, Atlanta's Michael Penix Jr. threw two touchdown passes, while Bijan Robinson led the ground game with 69 rushing yards, giving the Falcons a balanced attack.
Defensively, the Steelers made key stops, led by Jaquan Brisker, who recorded eight tackles to anchor the unit. The game turned in the fourth quarter when Pittsburgh's defense held strong, forcing a turnover on downs that ultimately sealed the win. With both teams showing flashes of brilliance, fans can expect an exciting season ahead.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Milton | QB | 31 | 22 | 71% | 348 | 1 | 0 | 118.7 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 38 | 26 | 68% | 303 | 2 | 0 | 109.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 19 | 69 | 3.6 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 16 | 31 | 1.9 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 6 | 12 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Austin Hooper | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Drake London | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Pittman | WR | 4 | 125 | 31.3 | 89 | 1 | 74 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 8 | 105 | 13.1 | 21 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 7 | 93 | 13.3 | 9 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 10 | 89 | 8.9 | 27 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 6 | 77 | 12.8 | 20 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Tyreek Hill | WR | 2 | 46 | 23.0 | 13 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 3 | 46 | 15.3 | 20 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 21 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Olamide Zaccheaus | WR | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Gervon Dexter Sr | DT | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal Daniels | WILL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Watts | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Za'Darius Smith | LEDG | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Bowman Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keeanu Benton | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Dorlus | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sydney Brown | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 41 |
| Nick Folk | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 45 |

