Steelers May Have A Massive Week 1 Gift Hiding In Atlanta's Quarterback Decision

The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent the offseason assembling a secondary built to make quarterbacks uncomfortable in several different ways. Pittsburgh added size, experience and enough positional flexibility to let its defensive backs become far more aggressive depending on the matchup. Week 1 may immediately provide the kind of opponent that makes all of those investments particularly useful.

Atlanta officially named Tua Tagovailoa its starting quarterback for Sunday's opener, and Matt Williamson believes that is excellent news for Pittsburgh. During a recent episode of The Drive on Steelers Nation Radio, Williamson argued the Steelers have the personnel to disrupt the timing Tagovailoa needs and force him into the kind of extended plays Pittsburgh would much rather defend. Atlanta announced Tagovailoa as its starter Monday after an offseason competition, and its Week 1 depth chart now has him atop the quarterback room.

“I think this is terrible news for the Falcons and very good news for the Steelers… He has to play a certain way and the ball has to come out quick. The longer he holds the ball, the more bad things happen… I’ve assumed all along the Steelers are going to bump up their press man coverage stuff. I would think they’re really going to lean into that for this game… Make him hold the ball… get your big press man corners and bang around [Drake] London and [Jalen] Ramsey banging around Pitts,” Williamson said.

The idea is simple enough even if executing it will not be. Tagovailoa has built much of his NFL success around decisiveness, anticipation and getting the football into the hands of playmakers before a pass rush can completely develop. Williamson wants Pittsburgh to interfere with that clock before worrying about anything else. Press coverage provides one way to do it.

Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean give Pittsburgh two long outside corners who are comfortable challenging receivers near the line of scrimmage. If the Steelers can disrupt the first step of a route instead of allowing Atlanta's targets to immediately enter open space, Tagovailoa may have to hitch, reset or move to another answer rather than releasing the football on schedule.

That fraction of a second is exactly what Pittsburgh's defensive front would like to borrow.

The Steelers already possess enough edge-rushing talent that opponents have to account for protection before every snap. A quarterback getting the football out immediately can neutralize even an excellent rush. Force him to wait for the route to uncover, however, and those same pass rushers suddenly receive the extra beat needed to turn pressure into an actual hit or sack.

Pittsburgh's deep cornerback room makes the strategy more realistic. The defense does not have to protect one inexperienced corner by consistently giving him large cushions. It has multiple veterans capable of playing physical coverage and enough depth to adjust if a particular matchup starts becoming troublesome.

Atlanta certainly has targets capable of making aggressive coverage expensive.

Drake London is listed as the Falcons' No. 1 receiver and presents exactly the kind of size matchup Williamson was discussing. Kyle Pitts creates a different problem because his frame and movement ability make him difficult to treat like a conventional tight end. Atlanta's official Week 1 depth chart lists both as starters in an offense also loaded with dangerous backfield talent.

That is where Jalen Ramsey becomes particularly interesting. Pittsburgh has spent more than a year taking advantage of his ability to move between roles instead of asking him to remain attached to one position. Matching him against Pitts on certain downs would give Patrick Graham a defender with the experience and physicality to challenge Atlanta's tight end without automatically surrendering the matchup to a linebacker.

Williamson's proposed approach carries risk. Playing aggressively at the line can create problems if a receiver wins immediately, and Tagovailoa does not need much room to turn a quick completion into something larger. London is capable of winning through contact, while Pitts can punish a defender who gets caught leaning the wrong direction.

The alternative may be more dangerous.

Allowing Atlanta's receivers free releases would help Tagovailoa operate in the exact rhythm Williamson believes Pittsburgh should prevent. A comfortable first read can make a dangerous pass rush irrelevant because the football is already gone before anyone reaches the top of the pocket.

Steelers Can Turn Their Cornerback Investment Into Pressure

Pittsburgh did not build this secondary merely to look impressive on paper. Dean was added to strengthen the outside, Porter remains one of the defense's most important matchup pieces, and Ramsey gives Graham a veteran capable of moving wherever the game plan needs him. Sunday provides an immediate opportunity to make that construction matter.

If the corners can disrupt Atlanta's routes without giving away explosive plays, the secondary and defensive front begin working together. The first group steals time from Tagovailoa. The second tries to make him regret having it stolen.

Tagovailoa winning the starting job does not guarantee Pittsburgh anything. He has played enough productive NFL football to punish a defense that assumes the matchup will solve itself, and Atlanta surrounded him with plenty of talent.

Williamson simply believes the way Tagovailoa wants to play lines up unusually well with the way Pittsburgh can now defend. For a Steelers defense built around pressure and physical coverage, Week 1 may have handed it exactly the kind of quarterback test it wanted.

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