There will be no soft landing for the Atlanta Falcons to start the 2026 season. On Sunday they will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers, a playoff team from last season with a future Hall of Fame quarterback and one of the best defensive fronts in the game today.
The Falcons are underdogs, and if they're going to prove the odds makers wrong, they will need to win a few key individual matchups. Here are four to watch closely this week.
WR Drake London vs. CB Jalen Ramsey
Cooper Rush will take over at quarterback after both Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. were ruled out for Week 1. Rush should look to Drake London, who has a very intriguing matchup - as he'll likely be shadowed by eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey. However, Ramsey is not the lockdown
defender he used to be. Last season, he allowed career highs in completion rate (70.4%), touchdowns (seven) and passer rating (118.1).
RT Jawaan Taylor vs. OLB T.J. Watt
Outside of the quarterback situation, the Falcons will be most vulnerable in the trenches, especially at right tackle. Jawaan Taylor also has some brutal one-on-ones coming against great edge rushers, including Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt, who has 115 career sacks to go with 244 quarterback hits. Watt may be slowing down but he still managed seven sacks and 19 QB hits in 14 games last season, proving he remains a dangerous threat getting to the quarterback.
DC Jeff Ulbrich vs. QB Aaron Rodgers
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich engineered a huge turnaround last season, with the Falcons finishing second in the league in sacks after ranking 31st the previous year. Now Ulbrich has to figure out how to manufacture a pass rush without his two best edge rushers on the field, as Jalon Walker is on IR and James Pearce is suspended the first eight games of the season. If Ulbrich can't find a way to pressure Aaron Rodgers in the pocket, the future Hall of Famer will carve the Falcons defense up like a birthday cake.
LB Divine Deablo vs. RB Jaylen Warren
Pittsburgh's offense isn't just a one-trick pony, though. They also have a decent run game led by Jaylen Warren, who posted 958 yards and six touchdowns last season on the ground. Backing him up is the supremely underrated and explosive Rico Dowdle. Stopping Warren and Dowdle will require a team effort but the guy most-responsible will be their new defensive centerpiece, linebacker Divine Deablo. Deablo was excellent against the run last season, and Atlanta will need more of the same to keep Pittsburgh's rushing attack in check.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons vs. Steelers: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 1
