The Pittsburgh Steelers just kicked off their 2026 season with a hard-fought 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, marking their third consecutive season opener win. It’s 1-0 to start the year, which is always sweet, but man, you gotta dig into the good and bad from any game, right?
Rodgers Looks Ready to Deal, Despite the Box Score
Aaron Rodgers looked like a new man out there, even if the box score, 24-of-40, does him dirty. Jarrett Bailey mentioned over 100 yards were left on the field because of drops, penalties, and even a missed pass interference call that could have been a touchdown. Rodgers was absolutely pushing the ball deep, averaging over 10 yards per target, and that’s a huge flip from his 6.16 ADOT last season. He protected the ball, put his guys in position, and just looked comfortable. Joey Bray’s got him first among all quarterbacks with an 85.7 PFF grade. Imagine what his numbers could have been if his receivers just caught a few more balls! Plenty of reasons to be hyped about what Rodgers is doing.
Metcalf’s Week 1: Just Plain Disappointing
But then there’s DK Metcalf. And honestly, it’s tough to even put into words how disappointing his Week 1 was. The guy on the ten targets only brought in four of them for a measly 40 yards. Jarrett Bailey said it straight: when you’re making the kind of money Metcalf is, 40 yards on ten targets just ain’t gonna cut it. He had two offensive pass interference penalties, one that wiped out a 19-yard catch. That drop over the middle in the second half? Easily a 20-yard gain, maybe more. And not dragging his feet on a critical 4th-and-3 toss from Rodgers? Yikes. Joey Bray highlighted the drops as the biggest issue, and yeah, Pittsburgh fans let him hear it, booing after that drop over the middle. The rust from no preseason was real, and the timing between Rodgers and his receivers, especially Metcalf, was just off. They need way more from him, plain and simple.
So, a win is a win, especially to start 1-0. Rodgers showed he’s ready to sling it deep, which is huge. But for this Steelers team to really hit its stride, those receiving woes, especially from a guy like Metcalf, gotta get sorted ASAP. They left a ton of points and yards out there. If they can fix that timing and those butterfingers, this offense could be scary good.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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