What the Falcons can expect from the Steelers in Week 1

With the NFL releasing the full schedule this evening, leaks are coming out fast and furious now. This morning several games on the Atlanta Falcons' slate were leaked, including a Week 1 road trip against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pittsburgh is an interesting opponent to begin the season for new head coach Kevin Stefanski and his team. Let's review what we know - and don't know about the Steelers at this point in the offseason.

Let's start with what we know. At the top, the Steelers' made a stunning change at head coach after Mike Tomlin decided to step away after 19 successful seasons at the helm. They decided to replace him with Mike McCarthy, who won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 2011. McCarthy's last stop was with the Dallas Cowboys, where he won 12 games three seasons in a row but couldn't get past the divisional round of the playoffs. He was fired after finishing 7-10 in 2024 and was out of the league last year.

On the field, the guy that the Falcons need to worry about most is still outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who may be slowing down but still managed to post seven sacks, 19 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for a loss in 14 games last season. Alex Highsmith actually managed to out-produce Watt though, posting a team-high 9.5 sacks in 13 games. Either way, Pittsburgh's always-potent pass rush represents the biggest challenge on this side of the ball.

Offensively, things are now run through former Seattle Seahawks star receiver DK Metcalf, who led the Steelers with 850 yards and six touchdowns last season. The run game is headed by , who put up 958 yards and six scores on the ground. is now their primary backup and a superb value at RB2.