T.J. Watt returned an interception for a touchdown to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The win marks the third straight season opener victory for Pittsburgh, who began the Mike McCarthy era with a 1-0 record.
Watt and Defensive Pressure
Watt was a focal point of the Steelers’ defense, recording two sacks, three tackles for loss, and a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown with 14:05 remaining in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 20-10. According to the Post Gazette, Watt’s performance showed a significant impact on Patrick Graham’s defense as the linebacker prepares to turn 32 next month.
Other defensive contributions included 12 tackles from inside linebacker Payton Wilson, who added two tackles for loss. Alex Highsmith recorded two sacks, including a critical sack of Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush in the fourth quarter that forced a punt while Atlanta was threatening to tie the game. Defensive end Za’Darius Smith also recorded two sacks, and Cam Heyward led the front line with three tackles and three batted-down passes.
Offensive Performance and Game Flow
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, starting his final NFL season, threw for 221 yards and one touchdown. Rodgers connected with Pat Freiermuth for a 6-yard touchdown pass to give Pittsburgh a 13-7 lead in the second quarter. However, the Post Gazette reported that Rodgers received limited help from his receivers, who dropped numerous passes.
The Falcons initially took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter after Cooper Rush threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Bijan Robinson. Robinson finished the game with 83 rushing yards and 90 receiving yards and a score. Rush completed 12 of 22 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown, though he threw two interceptions, one of which was recovered by Jaquan Brisker.
Special teams played a role in the outcome, as Atlanta’s Nick Folk missed two field goal attempts, including a 54-yard try and a 45-yard try. Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell contributed two field goals of 43 and 28 yards, though he missed a 56-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. In the backfield, Jaylen Warren touched the ball 15 times, while Rico Dowdle rushed for 15 yards on eight attempts.
Closing the Game
After Folk converted a 51-yard field goal to make the score 13-10 in the third quarter and a 43-yarder in the fourth to make it 20-13, the Falcons attempted to close the gap. Following the sack by Highsmith, the Steelers secured the win by picking up three first downs on their final drive to ice the game.
