The Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off the Mike McCarthy era with a gritty 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons to open the season, but let’s be real, T.J. Watt’s dominant return to form was the absolute main event. After an entire offseason of chatter and concern about his age and that fat contract, especially given his output last year, Watt went full-on 2021 mode, and the entire league just got put on notice.
Watt Wrecks Everything in Sight
Dude, Watt absolutely lit up the Falcons with two huge sacks, an additional tackle for loss, four total tackles, and the game-changing play: a pick-six. Seriously, I had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn’t 2021 all over again, because that’s the kind of game-wrecker performance we were missing in 2025. This was needed, too, because the Steelers only won by a touchdown against a Cooper Rush-led Falcons squad, and a rusty Pittsburgh offense really struggled to pile up points. That defensive score was the key. It wasn’t just raw talent, though; the Steelers coaching staff was smart about it. PFF’s charting showed Watt played right around 40 defensive snaps, just like Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. They rotated him, kept him fresh, which is huge for a guy in his thirties. Jack Sawyer even chipped in with another 23 snaps, giving Watt that crucial breather. It truly paid off, because we saw Watt return to that game-wrecker form we didn’t really get in 2025.
Aging Stars Shine Bright
Watt wasn’t the only veteran defender turning back the clock against Atlanta, either. Cam Heyward, at 37 years old, was a beast, racking up two total tackles, delivering some key pressures, and batting down three passes at the line of scrimmage. Three! That’s elite corner stuff from a defensive lineman! Like Watt, Heyward was also given more time to rest, playing only 33 of the team’s 61 defensive snaps after being the most played defensive lineman in the NFL last year. Then you’ve got 31-year-old Jalen Ramsey. He recorded a pass defensed himself, adding four more tackles while rotating between slot corner in nickel and safety in base defense. Yeah, this team often gets criticized for being overreliant on their veteran defense, and sometimes, sure, that’s fair. But on Sunday? These aging stars absolutely delivered to open the season.
The Pittsburgh defense largely held up its end of the bargain against a banged-up Falcons team, with Atlanta’s lone touchdown drive only coming after a Jaylen Warren fumble on Pittsburgh’s own 27-yard line. The Steelers offense, however, was the reason why this game was so tight. It’s a brand new season, folks, and if the defense keeps playing like this, the sky’s the limit for what these Steelers can do.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Behind the Steel Curtain.
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