The Pittsburgh Steelers opened the 2026 season with a hard-fought 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, giving Mike McCarthy a win in his first regular-season game as Pittsburgh’s head coach.
It wasn’t a perfect afternoon for the Steelers, but their defense delivered when the team needed it most.
A Back-and-Forth First Half
Pittsburgh opened the scoring with a Chris Boswell field goal, but Atlanta quickly answered. Cooper Rush connected with Bijan Robinson for a 23-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 7-3 lead.
The Steelers responded with another Boswell field goal before Aaron Rodgers helped Pittsburgh regain control. Rodgers found Pat Freiermuth for a six-yard touchdown, putting the Steelers ahead 13-7 at halftime.
Rodgers finished the afternoon with 221 passing yards and one touchdown on 24-of-40 passing, while Michael Pittman Jr. led Pittsburgh with 58 receiving yards.
T.J. Watt Changes Everything
The biggest play of the game came early in the fourth quarter.
With Atlanta threatening to make things interesting, T.J. Watt intercepted Rush and returned the pick 35 yards for a touchdown. It was the first pick-six of Watt’s career and pushed Pittsburgh’s advantage to 20-10.
That play completely changed the momentum.
The Steelers defense continued to pressure Rush throughout the afternoon, with Watt and Alex Highsmith each recording two sacks. Cam Heyward also made an impact at the line of scrimmage with three passes defended, while Payton Wilson recorded 12 tackles.
Pittsburgh Holds On
Atlanta added a late field goal to cut the deficit to seven, but Pittsburgh’s defense refused to let the Falcons complete the comeback.
The Steelers were able to run out the clock behind Jaylen Warren and the offense, securing a 20-13 victory and starting the season 1-0.
For Atlanta, Bijan Robinson was one of the few consistent bright spots, producing 83 rushing yards and 90 receiving yards while scoring a touchdown.
For Pittsburgh, the formula was simple: Rodgers made enough plays, the offense did just enough, and the defense came through with the game-changing moments.
It may not have been a dominant performance, but a win is a win — and Pittsburgh has started the McCarthy era 1-0.
