On September 13, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 20-13 at Acrisure Stadium to move to 1-0. Mike McCarthy's run as the head coach in the Steel City got off to a hot start. The offense looked rusty, scoring just 13 points and looking unorganized. Defensively, it was a different story, with the unit absolutely stealing the show with a dominant performance. The NFL's most expensive defense started the year with two takeaways and four sacks, igniting excitement among fans in Steeler Nation.
Jordan Perez / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers linebacker TJ Watt celebrates a big play during a regular-season matchup against the Falcons on September 13, 2026.
There were plenty of big performances for the defense, but none were bigger than TJ Watt's, who tallied two sacks, three tackles for loss, and an interception for a touchdown. Watt had another dominant Week 1 performance, propelling the Steelers to a big win in their season opener. With new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Watt was in much better situations schematically, which allowed him to excel.
Not only is the former AP Defensive Player of the Year winner playing for a new coordinator, but he also has a new position coach in CJ Ah You, who came over from Texas Tech. Ah You had yet to coach in the NFL before signing with the Steelers staff and inherited a loaded outside linebacker room with tons of talent across the board. His first game as a coach for the organization went as well as he could have hoped, with the outside linebackers shining.
After the win, Watt held a press conference and credited his new position coach for the group's success. All of the outside linebackers played significant snaps, keeping all four men fresh throughout the game. Watt voiced his approval of the scheme and his excitement for the season under the new management.
"I liked it; obviously, there's going to be a lot to fix and adjust as the week goes on," Watt stated. "As you can see, the rotation, and I think the way that Herb's been playing, we can move him around more. Me and Alex [Highsmith] can flip sides, allows us to do a lot more things schematically."
Nick Herbig lined up as an off-ball linebacker at times throughout the game and rushed from depth. This is just one of the wrinkles Pittsburgh has shown to get more edge rushers on the field. Graham is showing he can get as much as he can out of the loaded positional group, with Ah You helping to distribute snaps. The fresher Watt and Alex Highsmith are, the more effective they become. This leads to more splash plays that come with them.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers linebackers TJ Watt (90) and Alex Highsmith (56) celebrate a big play in their Week 1 game against the Falcons on September 13, 2026.
After having his lowest sack total in 2025 since his rookie season, Watt tallied two against the Falcons and is already on pace to shatter his 2025 number. Watt's get-off is not what it once was, and he had to incorporate more power into his pass-rush bag. This transition started last season, and it now seems to be paying off. He will have plenty of tough matchups this season, and it will be very interesting to see how he and the rest of the defense fare in these challenges.
Steelers' Defense May Finally Be Capable Of Breaking Out
Along with Watt's monster game, the secondary as a whole had an excellent day. Jaquan Brisker added an interception and was a difference maker in the run defense. Brisker saw his first action in his new colors and showed fans exactly what he is capable of. Jamel Dean and Asante Samuel Jr. were also key contributors to the secondary's success.
The pair held the Falcons' top pass catcher, Drake London, to just two catches for 29 yards. Tight end Kyle Pitts did not catch a single pass in the game thanks to the Steelers' back end. If the defense can keep up this level of play, they can finally return to elite status and play up to their price tag as a unit. If Week 1 is an indication of how the defense will play this season, watch the Steelers defense.
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