Atlanta
Falcons
0-0
7
FINAL
24
Pittsburgh
Steelers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive opening to the 2026 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers topped the Atlanta Falcons 24-7, showcasing their dominance on both sides of the ball. The victory sets a strong tone for the Steelers as they aim to contend in the competitive AFC landscape this year.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the charge for Pittsburgh, throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns, demonstrating precision and poise throughout the game. Germie Bernard emerged as his favorite target, racking up 97 receiving yards, while the ground game was kept in check with Rico Dowdle managing just 14 rushing yards but contributing effectively to the offense's overall flow.
Defensively, the Steelers made their presence felt, with Jaquan Brisker leading the team with four tackles and T.J. Watt adding a sack to his impressive resume. The game's turning point came when Robert Spears-Jennings intercepted a pass, halting a potential Falcons drive and shifting momentum firmly in favor of Pittsburgh. The Steelers' ability to stifle Atlanta’s offense ultimately sealed their victory and highlighted their defensive prowess.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 15 | 10 | 67% | 266 | 3 | 0 | 149.3 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 13 | 5 | 38% | 92 | 1 | 1 | 57.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 5 | 14 | 2.8 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germie Bernard | WR | 3 | 97 | 32.3 | 4 | 0 | 49 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 2 | 89 | 44.5 | 36 | 1 | 66 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 2 | 68 | 34.0 | 60 | 1 | 64 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 2 | 45 | 22.5 | 32 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 22 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | WR | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Spears-Jennings | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sydney Brown | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaiir Elam | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Billy Bowman Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Harris | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Za'Darius Smith | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal Daniels | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Prater | K | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 48 |
| Nick Folk | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

