The Pittsburgh Steelers are just four days from their first game and this might be the biggest season opener in two decades. Pittsburgh opens the season at home against the Atlanta Falcons, and new head coach Mike McCarthy understands itis imperative to get off to a hot start. Here are the four big storylines in this week's game.
Rodgers and McCarthy together again
Last season, Aaron Rodgers was not a great fit with the Steelers offense but the Mike McCarthy hire promises a system that should help Rodgers return to glory for his final season. With questions on the offensive line and improvements at receiver, the Rodgers/McCarthy duo should be ready to roll.
The return of the pass rush
With so much attention on stopping Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, the Steelers edge defenders have to step up and take
advantage of one-on-one opportunities. We are anxious to see how often new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham gets T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig on the field together.
Will the Steelers offensive line get it together
Despite multiple draft picks and additions, the right side of the offensive line is in disarray. The depth chart lists Spencer Anderson at guard and Dylan Cook at tackle, but we want to watch to see whether either or both struggle, whether McCarthy pulls them in favor of other players, or whether he lets them play out the game to evaluate what he has.
The ongoing Joey Porter Jr. saga
As of Thursday morning, the Steelers and Joey Porter Jr. have not agreed to terms on a new contract, so for this one, the storyline is all about if a contract gets done and if the answer is no, will Porter Jr. play on Sunday? Our gut tells us now that Porter Jr. doesn't play on Sunday regardless.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers vs Falcons: 4 big storylines in Week One
