The Pittsburgh Steelers took down the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 as the group won the contest 20-13. Overall, it was a successful season opener, but a better showing was expected -- particularly on offense. The defense did its job as it kept Atlanta's offensive attack in check, and the only points Atlanta was able to score basically came because the offense of Pittsburgh was setting them up. Jaylen Warren fumbled in a bad part of the field, and there were many drives that stalled out immediately for the Steelers.
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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium.
One of the reasons some fans were excited when the organization announced that it would be hiring Mike McCarthy as the new head coach in Pittsburgh was his offensive background. He has been a play-caller throughout his entire time as a head coach, and he has been a good one. The offensive side of the ball has been a spot that the Steelers have struggled in heavily this decade, and fans were hoping that McCarthy would be able to help get that side of the ball out of its rut. The sample size is small so far for the Steelers as the team has played just one game, but things do not necessarily look great.
The run game struggled for the Steelers and the passing game was not super effective either. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke to the media on Wednesday, and he shared that a balance is not something he is necessarily worried about as of right now.
"Run-pass balance is all talking head fodder," Rodgers said. "I’m not concerned about run-pass balance.”
The game plan for the game against Atlanta was obviously heavily focused on passing the ball. Rodgers came out throwing a lot as he attempted 40 passes on the day. He completed 24 of those passes for 221 yards and one score, and he and the offense missed out on a few deep shots throughout the game. There was a clear emphasis on stretching the field through the air, but it just didn't happen on Sunday.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after opening the 2026 season with a win over the Atlanta Falcons.
A lot has been made since the game ended about how pass-heavy the Steelers were, but the team didn't really have much of a choice. Yards on the ground were hard to come by in the win. Warren led the way with 46 yards on 10 carries while Rico Dowdle really struggled with just 15 yards on eight carries. The offense really struggled in this aspect as the Steelers averaged less than three yards per carry on the day, which is extremely bad and hard to live with.
The shortcomings on the ground aren't entirely on the running backs as the offensive line struggled throughout the preseason and in Week 1, and changes could be coming to the unit.
Steelers Got The Win Without Following Mike McCarthy's Formula
One of the first things McCarthy mentioned when coming to Pittsburgh as the head coach is the fact that he views the amount of successful touches as a key statistic when it comes to winning games. This means carries combined with completions. He typically tries to hit the number 55 when it comes to this, and the Steelers fell short of that mark. Running backs carried the ball 18 times against Atlanta and Rodgers had 24 completions, meaning the offense was significantly short of McCarthy's typical goal. This number is crucial because it measures the amount of positive plays an offense might have, and it also is a key component of time of possession.
The Steelers' struggles on the ground are going to have to get fixed. The team is taking on the reigning AFC Champion this Sunday as the Steelers will travel to play the New England Patriots. New England is significantly better than Atlanta, so it is going to be a challenge to get things going offensively.
What do you think about Rodgers' comments on having a balance between the run and the pass? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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