The Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers opened their 2022 seasons with a disappointing performance, as both teams struggled to find their footing in a game marred by mistakes and penalties. The Falcons, in particular, looked lost on both sides of the ball, leading to a lopsided 19-15 loss.
The Falcons were widely expected to struggle in 2022 after a disastrous 4-12 campaign in 2021. However, their performance against the Steelers was even worse than anticipated, as they managed just 227 total yards of offense and turned the ball over twice.
Falcons-Steelers Season Opener: A Game of Embarrassments
Marcus Mariota, who is in his first season as Atlanta's starting quarterback, struggled mightily, completing just 15 of 28 passes for 124 yards and one interception. He was also sacked four times and lost a fumble.
The Falcons' running game was equally ineffective, as Cordarrelle Patterson was held to just 43 yards on 13 carries. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta's star tight end, was also a non-factor, catching just one pass for 14 yards.
Pittsburgh took advantage of the Falcons' struggles, scoring the game's first touchdown on a 22-yard run by Najee Harris. The Steelers also benefited from two Atlanta turnovers, both of which led to field goals.
Mitchell Trubisky, who replaced Ben Roethlisberger as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback, was not particularly impressive, completing just 21 of 33 passes for 168 yards. However, he did not turn the ball over and managed to guide the Steelers to victory.
The Falcons' defense was just as disappointing as their offense, allowing Pittsburgh to convert seven of 13 third downs. The Steelers also had the ball for over 35 minutes of game time, keeping Atlanta's offense off the field.
Atlanta's only touchdowns came on a 58-yard punt return by Avery Williams and a 72-yard fumble recovery by Ade Ogundeji.
The loss drops the Falcons to 0-1 on the season, while the Steelers improve to 1-0. Atlanta will look to bounce back next week when they host the Los Angeles Rams, while Pittsburgh will travel to Cincinnati to face the Bengals.
