Falcons at Steelers
Atlanta Falcons 35, Pittsburgh Steelers 17 · Underground LG 27 Madden
Final Score
Falcons 35 5 TD · 0 FG · 5 XP
Steelers 17 2 TD · 1 FG · 2 XPMichael Penix Jr 251 yds passingChristian McCaffrey 139 yds rushingDrake London 84 yds receivingXavier Watts 4 tkl defenseTotal yards 410 · 279Passing yards 251 · 186Rushing yards 159 · 93Completions 19/23 · 11/27Yards per carry 7.6 · 7.8Recap
Franchise Hub Beat · 1d ago
In a decisive season opener, the Atlanta Falcons topped the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-17, showcasing their dominance on both sides of the ball. With this victory, the Falcons set the tone for the 2026 season, leaving the Steelers looking for answers as they aim to regroup in the coming weeks.
Michael Penix Jr. led the Falcons' passing attack with 251 yards, connecting effectively with Drake London, who racked up 84 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey was a force on the ground, amassing 139 rushing yards and solidifying his role as a key offensive weapon. Aaron Rodgers did his best to keep the Steelers competitive with two touchdown passes, but it simply wasn’t enough to overcome Atlanta’s offensive firepower.
Defensively, the Falcons made crucial plays that stifled Pittsburgh's momentum. Xavier Watts led the team with four tackles, while Avieon Terrell sealed the game with a pivotal interception, marking a significant turning point in the second half. The Falcons' ability to create turnovers and limit explosive plays from the Steelers proved essential in their commanding victory.
Box Score
| Player | C/A | PCT | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | ||||||
| Michael Penix JrQB | 19/22 | 86% | 251 | 1 | 0 | 129.3 |
| Jahan DotsonWR | 0/1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.5 |
| Steelers | ||||||
| Aaron RodgersQB | 11/27 | 41% | 186 | 2 | 4 | 49.8 |
| Player | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | |||||||
| Christian McCaffreyHB | 16 | 139 | 8.7 | 56 | 3 | 43 | 0 |
| Trey SermonHB | 4 | 21 | 5.3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Darius SlaytonWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Drake LondonWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Penix JrQB | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steelers | |||||||
| Rico DowdleHB | 6 | 47 | 7.8 | 8 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Jaylen WarrenHB | 6 | 46 | 7.7 | 12 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Michael PittmanWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | |||||||
| Drake LondonWR | 6 | 84 | 14.0 | 43 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Zachariah BranchWR | 3 | 63 | 21.0 | 10 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Olamide ZaccheausWR | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Darius SlaytonWR | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Christian McCaffreyHB | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts SrTE | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Trey SermonHB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jahan DotsonWR | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Steelers | |||||||
| Darnell WashingtonTE | 5 | 61 | 12.2 | 14 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Pat FreiermuthTE | 1 | 61 | 61.0 | 28 | 1 | 61 | 0 |
| Germie BernardWR | 1 | 45 | 45.0 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| Jaylen WarrenHB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| DK MetcalfWR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Michael PittmanWR | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Player | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | |||||
| Xavier WattsSS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevon DiggsCB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rayshawn JenkinsFS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon TerrellCB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell JrCB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Divine DeabloMIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon DorlusDT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasir AbdullahSAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce JrREDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Bowman JrCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal DanielsWILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sydney BrownSS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steelers | |||||
| Patrick QueenMIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jamel DeanCB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan BriskerSS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex HighsmithREDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen RamseyFS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton WilsonWILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandin EcholsCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spears-JenningsSS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keeanu BentonDT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. WattLEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam HeywardDT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | FG | XP | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | |||
| Nick FolkK | 0/0 | 5 | 0 |
| Steelers | |||
| Chris BoswellK | 1/1 | 2 | 27 |