Five Takeaways From The Pittsburgh Steelers Week One Win

It might not have been pretty, but in typical Steelers fashion, Pittsburgh got out of Atlanta with an 18-10 victory in the season opener. Once again, the Steelers fans turned the Falcons stadium into their own home for the week, just like they did in the 2022 matchup. The influx of Terrible Towels made Kirk Cousins go to a silent count early, providing a gigantic advantage for the Steeler’s defense.

Steelers Looking For A New Punter

The Steelers finally found stability at the punter position this offseason, just for it to be ripped from them in week one. The Falcons ran into Cameron Johnston on his second punt of the game, leaving him with an injury that Mike Tomlin described as significant. This is brutal news for Johnston and the Steelers .

Johnston only got off two punts in the game. He booted one for 58 yards and then a 45-yarder before leaving the game. After his injury, Chris Boswell filled in and put down a 43-yard punt in Johnston’s place. Now, the Steelers will turn to free agency to fill the open role. A reunion with a familiar face is possible. Brad Wing , Pressley Harvin , and Corliss Waitman are all available and could receive a call from Mike Tomlin this week.

King Of The North, For Now

Although it’s the toughest division in football, the AFC North got hobbled in week one, other than for the Steelers. The Ravens lost to the Chiefs by a literal inch. The Bengals got upset by the Patriots. The Browns got smacked by the Cowboys. That leaves the Steelers in sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

Pittsburgh will look to gain another game in the division next week when they go to Denver to play Bo Nix and the Broncos. The Browns travel to Jacksonville to go to war with the Jaguars. The Ravens welcome the Raiders into Baltimore, while Cincinnati will travel to Kansas City to take on the defending champion Chiefs. Week two will be a good chance for the Steelers to gain another game in the division.

Russell Wilson Is Still QB1

If Steelers fans learned anything in week one, it was that Russell Wilson is still the rightful owner of the top spot on the depth chart at quarterback. If Justin Fields had lit the world on fire, he could’ve made a case to steal the job from him. Fields didn’t play badly, but he certainly didn’t do enough to reserve the seat as the starter yet. He got the win; that is what matters to the Steelers.

Fields went 17/32 for 156 passing yards. He also rushed the ball 14 times for 57 yards. He made some big plays with his feet to keep drives alive. The one gripe with Fields this week is that the missile of the field remained unused. That might be more suited for the game plan than Fields, but it is a persistent problem in this offense. Expect Wilson back for his revenge game in week two in Denver.

Raheem Morris Was Painfully Wrong

A few days before the week one matchup, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said he wouldn’t let TJ Watt take control of the game. He was wrong. Morris gave Watt perfect bulletin board material. Has the league not learned by now? Stop giving this guy fuel.

Watt finished the day with four total tackles, two solo tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack. He should’ve had two strip-sacks to bring his total to three, but the referees decided that wasn’t happening. The Steelers’ defense was great as a unit, but Watt was the ringleader as usual.

Death, Taxes, And Chris Boswell From 50+

Chris Boswell was the star on offense for the Steelers in week one. Although the Steelers couldn’t find a way to score a touchdown, Boswell knocked through six field goals. He hit 57, 51, 44, 56, 40, and 25-yarders to lead the Steelers to victory.

Boswell became the first kicker in Steelers history with three or more field goals of 50+ yards in a game. He has now hit 82.5% of his career kicks from 50+ yards, making him one of the most accurate kickers ever. 33 for 40 from that distance is impressive. The Wizard of Boz continues to come up huge for the Steelers.

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