The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off an impressive victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. Their 18-10 triumph came without a touchdown and six field goals from Chris Boswell. Steelers fans should be excited about their win but shy away from these overreactions just one game into the season.
The victory came after a change at quarterback before the game started. After naming Russell Wilson the starter, he was deemed too injured to play. Justin Fields took the reins and led them to the win.
The Steelers' defense was the most important part of their win. They kept a new-look Falcons attack to just 10 points and sacked Kirk Cousins twice. While this was a great performance, it will still be tough sledding for Pittsburgh moving forward in the AFC North.
Justin Fields should be the starting quarterback
Russell Wilson won the starting job out of training camp for a reason. Mike Tomlin believes that the veteran gives the Steelers a better chance to win than the young Justin Fields. The Week 1 victory should not change that because Fields was not very impressive in the win.
The Steelers offense did not score a touchdown, relying on six field goals to win the game 18-10. Fields only mustered 156 yards through the air but did pick up 57 more on the ground. The wide receiver core that many were concerned about coming into the season proved why, with only George Pickens and Pat Friermuth making more than two catches. This was also Arthur Smith's debut as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator.
This is not to say that Fields won't become the better option this season. Wilson was not great in his two years with the Denver Broncos and has not proven he can still be an elite quarterback. He has earned the opportunity to earn that designation with the Steelers. Their next game is against the Broncos which gives him a great chance to get some revenge on his former team.
Steelers' defense will be the best in the league
With such a poor performance from the offense, TJ Watt and the Steelers' defense needed to step up. They did just that, allowing only ten points to a Falcons offense that had big expectations. Drake London was held to only two catches, Kyle Pitts only pulled in three balls, and Bijan Robinson was held to 3.8 yards per carry.
Despite the excellent performance, it's too early to deem the Steelers the best defense in the league. There were other great performances across the league, namely the Patriots, Chargers, and Vikings, and the Falcons' offense is an unknown quantity. If Atlanta's offense takes off, this will be a great piece of Pittsburgh's resume.
The Steelers do have one of the best defensive players in the league in TJ Watt. The edge rusher was phenomenal in Week 1, piling up four tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery. Watt will lead them to a great season but whether they are the top unit in the league is not determined yet.
Mike Tomlin will lead another winning season
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has one of the most remarkable records in NFL history. He has never had a team go under .500 in his 17 seasons at the helm in Pittsburgh. Coming into this season, the team's over/under win total was anywhere from 7.5 to 8.5, meaning it would be tough sledding for him to reach the nine-win mark again this year.
It is too early to conclude that the Steelers will win nine games this season after beating the Falcons. While it was an impressive victory, they did not show a sustainable recipe for winning. Rarely do teams win games without scoring touchdowns, so that would be a great place to start. With no secondary option behind Pickens, scoring will be difficult for the offense.
The Steelers also play in one of the toughest divisions in football. While they were the only team who got a Week 1 win, the Bengals and Ravens are expected to bounce back from their defeats. Their games against those teams will be tough matchups and will make it difficult to get to nine wins.
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