The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-0 to start the 2026 regular season, and their Week 1 victory over the Atlanta Falcons gave us plenty to think about — both good and bad.
The Steelers defeated the Falcons 20-13, holding Atlanta to just 238 total yards of offense. Pittsburgh's offense didn't look much better, however, recording just 264 yards, as well as a mediocre 58 rushing yards.
From a veteran wide receiver who isn't playing up to his price tag to a new defensive coordinator completely changing the landscape in Pittsburgh, here's a look at everything we learned from the Steelers' Week 1 win over the Falcons.
DK Metcalf still isn't living up to the hype
Let's not get it twisted: Metcalf has been a solid addition for the Steelers. But has he really lived up to the hype of his $132 million contract?
Well, Metcalf's Week 1 performance certainly didn't. Miscommunication? Sure. Unnecessary penalties? Why not. Dropped passes? You guessed it. That was the unfortunate reality Steelers fans were faced with when Metcalf was on the field on Sunday. Pittsburgh gave up premium draft capital to acquire him from the Seattle Seahawks and broke the bank to keep him in the Steel City long term. These types of outings just can't happen.
T.J. Watt revenge tour confirmed
Many, including myself, were beginning to write off Watt after a 2025 season filled with injuries and overall regression. But Watt silenced the doubters with an outstanding two-sack performance that included three tackles for loss and a pick-six. In all reality, Watt is likely to receive AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. But his revenge tour is just getting started.
Defense is scary good under Patrick Graham
Graham's defense looked great in Week 1. Defenders roamed to keep the offense guessing, and the zone-heavy, two-high game plan to exploit the Falcons' quarterback woes worked perfectly. Yes, we definitely need to see what Graham is capable of cooking up against a healthy and more competent offense. But that isn't a reason for concern, it's a new limit to surpass for Pittsburgh.
Week 1 jitters were real on offense
Pittsburgh's offense wasn't great in the 2026 regular season opener. The Steelers needed a pair of missed field goals from Falcons kicker Nick Folk and a pick-six from T.J. Watt to win the game, thanks to the offensive blunders throughout the matchup. Rodgers was solid, but the miscommunication with pass catchers, poor offensive line plan, and struggling run game left a lot to be desired offensively. Hopefully, we can chalk up the poor performance to Week 1 jitters, and the Steelers can quickly shake off the rust and bounce back in a huge way in Week 2.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including injury updates and the analysis of Pittsburgh's exciting Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: What we learned from Steelers' Week 1 win over Falcons
