The Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off the Mike McCarthy era with a W on Sunday, grinding out a 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at home. You saw that score and maybe thought, “Alright, Steelers look good!” But trust me, you need to dig a little deeper, because while the defense absolutely stole the show, there’s already a massive red flag waving over this squad.
The Defense Is STILL The Story in Pittsburgh
Let’s be real: Pittsburgh got that win because the defense came to play. They truly *stole the show* and *propelled* the team to victory, especially after a shaky start overall. TJ Watt, man, that guy is a legend! He came out looking *fresh and revitalized* under the new coaching staff, personally delivering a pick-six that turned the tide. NFL.com said it best: none of the offensive struggles “matters all that much, though, when T.J. Watt is intercepting passes and turning them into defensive touchdowns.” USA Today even noted he *appeared revived* after a subpar 2025 season. He just delivers wins.
Aaron Rodgers might have been “OK, not great,” as Ralph Vacchiano from FOX Sports put it, but he didn’t need to do a lot thanks to a defense that was *stifling* against a battered Falcons team playing its third-string QB. Some of the power rankings reflected this defensive boost. FOX Sports bumped them up four spots to No. 16, The Athletic moved them two spots to No. 16, and Pro Football Talk saw them climb to No. 17. Even USA Today moved them up a spot to No. 20. It’s clear the league sees the defense as legit.
But That Offense? YIKES.
Here’s where things get ugly. Pete Prisco from CBS Sports straight up said, “They beat the Falcons, but it wasn’t pretty. They have to do more on offense.” You think? This unit had the *worst success rate in the NFL for Week 1*! The run game? A truly depressing *2.8 yards per carry*. Let that sink in for a second. Yahoo! Sports’ Frank Schwab pointed out that was “against a Falcons defense that wasn’t projected to be very good.” This wasn’t some elite defensive front, folks, and the Steelers’ run game looked DOA.
Mike McCarthy’s debut might have come with Aaron Rodgers playing “with more freedom and aggression than he did last season,” according to NFL.com, but the unit still “struggled to produce points.” The Athletic called the offense “mostly fine,” which is not exactly a ringing endorsement, and they think this McCarthy-led squad “looks like another roughly .500 team.” Ouch. CBS Sports and Yahoo! Sports didn’t even move them in their rankings, keeping them at No. 20, while NFL.com actually *dropped* them two spots to No. 23. That’s a huge indictment after a win!
So, what’s next? The Steelers head to New England for Week 2, and as The Athletic noted, “We should learn more about the Steelers” against the Patriots. Will that offense figure things out, or is TJ Watt going to have to pull off a miracle every single week for them to scrape by? That 2.8 yards per carry number is screaming for attention, and this team needs to fix it fast if they want this season to be anything more than “roughly .500.”
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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