Kirk Cousins ​​Era Begins in Atlanta, Steelers Start Fresh with Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh (10-8) at Atlanta (7-10)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox.

BetMGM NFL Odds: Falcons Win 3rd

Series standings: Steelers lead 15-2-1.

Last meeting: Steelers defeated Falcons 19-16 on December 4, 2022 in Atlanta.

Steelers offense: total (25), rushing (13), passing (25), scoring (28).

Steelers defense: overall (21), running (19), passing (22), scoring (22).

Falcons offense: total (17), rushing (9), passing (22), scoring (26).

Falcons defense: overall (11), rushing (20), passing (8), scoring (23).

Turnover differential: Steelers plus-11, Falcons minus-12.

Steelers Players to Watch

LB TJ Watt, Patrick Queen and Alex Highsmith. This could be one of the best linebacker groups in the NFL. The Steelers signed Queen to a three-year, $41 million deal, the largest they’ve ever offered in free agency. It’s easy to see why. He’s the kind of wrecking ball the Steelers have lacked at center since Ryan Shazier’s career-ending injury in 2017. Queen is flanked by Watt and Highsmith, an elite duo on the outside. Nick Herbig, adding depth to the lineup, had 3 1/2 sacks in just 32 snaps in the preseason. His development could allow Pittsburgh to give Watt and Highsmith a little more rest in the early and middle parts of games.

Falcons Player to Watch

QB Kirk Cousins. The Falcons dealt Cousins ​​a four-year, $180 million contract, including $100 million guaranteed, to sign him in free agency. He’s key to snapping a six-year losing streak and turning around a franchise that’s been plagued by poor quarterback play since the Matt Ryan era. Atlanta alternated between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke a year ago, but neither has come close to providing what’s needed at the most important position on the field. Enter Cousins, who’s coming off an Achilles injury that sidelined him in the preseason but has appeared to be a huge improvement over his predecessors. He’s thrown 171 touchdown passes since the 2018 season, third most in the NFL during that span. While the Falcons courted controversy by using their first-round draft pick to acquire another quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., it’s clear the team is counting on Cousins ​​to lead the team into an immediate turnaround.

A key clash

Steelers QB Russell Wilson vs. Falcons defense. Wilson, 35, is trying to get his once-stellar career back on track after a dismal run in Denver. He went 11-19 as the Broncos’ quarterback and was a shadow of the quarterback who made the Pro Bowl in nine of his 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. After being fired by the Broncos, Wilson beat out former Bears quarterback Justin Fields for the Steelers’ No. 1 starting job. He will be tested right away by a Falcons defense that made big strides a year ago and could be even better with the additions of OLB Matthew Judon and SS Justin Simmons.

Key injuries

G Isaac Seumalo (pectoral muscle) is out for Week 1. … The Steelers are hopeful that first-round draft pick RT Troy Fautanu (knee), CB Cory Trice (groin) and WR Roman Wilson (ankle) will be available to play against the Falcons. … RB Jaylen Warren (hamstring) was able to practice this week. … For the Falcons, TE Kyle Pitts (hamstring) and LB Nate Landman (quadriceps) were limited in practice. … Atlanta suffered a pair of season-ending knee injuries in the preseason, losing rookie Bralen Trice (third-round pick) and WR Rondale Moore.

Notes from the series

The Steelers have won the last four meetings with the Falcons. … Atlanta’s last victory in this series came in 2006, when the team won 41-38. … The Falcons’ only other victory over Pittsburgh came in 1970, when the team won 27-16. … The Steelers are 8-2 in games played in Atlanta.

Statistics and stuff like that

Arthur Smith returns to Atlanta as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator after serving as the Falcons’ head coach for the past three seasons. He was fired after going 7-10 for the third straight year. … Falcons DT Grady Jarrett is one sack away from tying John Abraham’s franchise record of 115. … Watt has 89 1/2 sacks in 89 games since the start of the 2018 season, the most in the NFL during that span. Judon has 54 1/2 sacks in 84 games during the same span, 10th in the league. … RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson is in his first season with the Steelers after spending the past three years as the all-purpose quarterback in Atlanta’s offense. … Pittsburgh hasn’t had a negative record in Mike Tomlin’s 17 seasons as coach, but the Steelers’ last playoff win came in 2016. They have lost five straight playoff games since then, including a 31-17 loss at Buffalo in the wild-card round a season ago. … While Tomlin is bullish on Wilson, quarterbacks have not fared well in their Steelers debuts over the years. Since 1952, Pittsburgh is 10-31-1 in a quarterback’s first start with the franchise, including 2-6 under Tomlin. … The Steelers are 10-6-1 in starts under Tomlin, who is the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach since Bill Belichick left for New England. … Expect Pittsburgh’s passing attack to test Cousins, who is recovering from an Achilles injury. Watt has led the league in sacks in three of the last four seasons and is the only player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 to win the sack title three times. … Atlanta’s six-straight losing streak is its longest since 1983-90, when Atlanta had eight straight losses.

Fantasy Tip

Steelers WR George Pickens is a dynamic playmaker, but he doesn’t have much outside help. Of the next four players on the depth chart — Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Calvin Austin III and rookie Roman Wilson — none has caught more than 50 passes on the season. Smith will try to find ways to fit the 6-foot-4 Pickens into favorable matchups that provide Wilson with an appealing target. Pittsburgh desperately needs to open up an offense that has relied heavily on the run game, and a big year from Pickens is essential to making that happen. Plus, he’s heading into a contract year, which should give him even more incentive to improve his game.