The 2024 NFL season is hours away from kicking off with the defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship. Most every football fan in America will be tuning in, but in Atlanta, everyone is anxiously awaiting for Sunday, as this year’s highly anticipated Falcons team kicks off the Raheem Morris era with a reunion of sorts, as Arthur Smith returns to Atlanta for the first time as the Steelers offensive coordinator.
Based on hype alone, this is a game that has Falcons written all over it. But hype doesn’t win football games, and nobody is better at blocking out the noise and winning games they have no business winning more than Mike Tomlin. The Steelers, despite their deficiencies, will be no easy task for a football team relying on a lot of new faces in their first game with the organization.
Falcons defensive line vs. Steelers offensive line
Over the last several years, there haven’t been many instances where the Falcons defensive line has had a significant advantage. That will change this season following the addition of Matthew Judon, and Week 1 could give the people in Atlanta a lot of excitement about the potential of the defensive front, led by Judon, Grady Jarrett, and David Onyemata.
There are a couple of factors working for Atlanta’s pass rush in this matchup. The Steelers have invested heavily into their offensive line over the last couple of years, but starting left guard Isaac Seuamo has already been ruled out, a rookie is starting at center, and there are a lot of moving parts playing in positions where they may not be totally comfortable.
The other thing working for the Falcons is Arthur Smith and Russell Wilson. The latter is notorious for hanging onto the ball and taking sacks, and it’s his first game with a new offensive coordinator and a makeshift offensive line. The Steelers are going to stick to the ground a lot in this matchup. If the Falcons can hold up against the run, they should have a field day pinning their ears back and racking up some sacks, which would be an incredibly refreshing sight to see.
A.J. Terrell vs. George Pickens
The Falcons made A.J. Terrell one of the highest-paid corners in football just a couple of weeks ago. He earned every penny, and there’s a real opportunity for him to have one of the best seasons of his career this year because he’s finally surrounded by some quality talent. A pass rush is a corner’s best friend, and the safety duo of Justin Simmons and Jessie Bates III behind Terrell will also allow him to be much more aggressive.
Terrell isn’t typically a corner that follows around a team’s best receiver, but I’m interested to see if that changes with Raheem Morris and Jimmy Lake. The Falcons other corners also leave a ton to be desired, and Pickens is the only worthwhile receiver on the Steelers roster. I see no reason why Terrell shouldn’t see a lot of Pickens on Sunday, which should be a fun battle to watch.
Zac Robinson vs. Steelers defense
As has been the case for a long time in the Steel City, their playoff hopes lie in the hands of the Steelers’ defense. It’s always a fierce unit, one that finished sixth in opponent’s points per game allowed last season, giving up a hair below 20 per contest.
However, the Falcons offense will be a formidable test, led by new quarterback Kirk Cousins, a plethora of weapons at the skill positions, and one of the best offensive lines in football. This group has all of the tools to be a top 10 offense, but a lot of that will depend on the man pulling the strings, new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.
The first-time play-caller previously worked for the Rams as the team’s quarterbacks coach and was coveted by every team with an offensive coordinator opening this offseason. Anybody that stems from the same coaching tree as Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay is going to have sky-high expectations, but this is the first time Robinson will be calling plays, and he’ll be doing it with a brand new team. Sometimes it can take a little while for things to gel, but Robinson has an opportunity to introduce himself to the world on Sunday.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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