The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their 2026 NFL season with a hard fought win over the Atlanta Falcons. The final score was 20-13, and the game came down to the last few minutes. Both teams showed strong defense, a few big mistakes, and some standout player performances. In this article, we will go through the full player stats from this Week 1 matchup, so you can see who made the biggest impact on the field.
This game was played on September 13, 2026, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. It marked a special day for Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, who grew up near the city and got his first win as Pittsburgh’s coach. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers also started his 22nd NFL season with a win at home. On the other side, the Falcons started their season with a loss, and quarterback Cooper Rush had a tough day, including a pick six that changed the game.
Let’s break down the stats from every part of the game, position by position.
Game Overview
Before we look at individual stats, here is a quick look at how the scoring happened during the game.
- First quarter: Chris Boswell hit a 43 yard field goal for Pittsburgh. Then Cooper Rush threw a 23 yard touchdown pass to Bijan Robinson, giving Atlanta a 7-3 lead.
- Second quarter: Boswell added a 28 yard field goal. Aaron Rodgers then threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth, putting the Steelers up 13-7 at halftime.
- Third quarter: Nick Folk kicked a 51 yard field goal for Atlanta, cutting the gap to 13-10.
- Fourth quarter: T.J. Watt intercepted a pass from Cooper Rush and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown, making it 20-10. Folk added a late field goal to make it 20-13, but Atlanta could not score again before time ran out.
Atlanta also missed two field goal attempts during the game, one from 54 yards and one from 45 yards. Those missed kicks ended up being very costly in a game decided by just seven points.
Quarterback Stats
Aaron Rodgers (Pittsburgh)
Aaron Rodgers had a solid, steady performance in his Steelers debut of the 2026 season. He completed 24 of his 40 passes, which is a 60 percent completion rate. He threw for 223 yards and one touchdown. His passer rating for the game was 83.6. Rodgers also had two passes dropped by his receivers, which could have made his stat line even better. He took two sacks during the game and picked up 10 first downs through the air.
One interesting stat is his average depth of target, which measures how far downfield his passes traveled. Rodgers averaged 10.1 air yards per attempt in this game. That is much higher than his average from last season, which was only 6.6 air yards per attempt. This shows he was willing to push the ball downfield more often in this game.
Cooper Rush (Atlanta)
Cooper Rush started at quarterback for the Falcons in this game. He finished with 143 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. His touchdown pass went to running back Bijan Robinson for 23 yards in the first quarter. However, his two interceptions hurt his team badly. One interception in the second quarter led directly to a Pittsburgh touchdown. The other interception, in the fourth quarter, was returned by T.J. Watt for a touchdown, which gave Pittsburgh a 10 point lead they would not give up.
Running Back Stats
Bijan Robinson (Atlanta)
Bijan Robinson is one of the best running backs in the NFL, and he still made plays in this game, but the Steelers defense did a good job limiting him on the ground. He carried the ball 21 times for 83 yards. That is actually the fewest rushing yards he has ever had in a game where he carried the ball 20 or more times in his career. So even though the number looks decent, it was a tough day for him as a runner.
Robinson was much more effective as a receiver. He caught 8 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. In fact, reports after the game noted that Robinson was involved in 73 percent of Atlanta’s total offensive yards. That shows just how much the Falcons offense depended on him in this game.
Jaylen Warren (Pittsburgh)
Jaylen Warren was the leading rusher for the Steelers. He carried the ball 10 times for 46 yards. Warren also had an important 9 yard run late in the game that helped Pittsburgh control the clock and protect their lead in the final minutes.
Receiving Stats
Pat Freiermuth (Pittsburgh)
Tight end Pat Freiermuth had a strong game for Pittsburgh. He caught 5 passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown catch, a short 6 yard pass from Rodgers, gave the Steelers the lead right before halftime, which turned out to be an important momentum shift in the game.
Other Receivers
Both teams spread the ball around to different players, but Robinson for Atlanta and Freiermuth for Pittsburgh were the standout receiving threats. Pittsburgh’s passing game relied on short and medium routes for most of the day, while also mixing in some deeper shots, which matched Rodgers’ higher average depth of target for this game.
Defensive Stats
The defense was the real story of this game for both teams, and Pittsburgh’s unit was especially impressive.
T.J. Watt (Pittsburgh)
Linebacker T.J. Watt was the biggest defensive star of the game. He recorded two sacks, which already matched his total number of multi sack games from all of last season. On top of that, he intercepted a pass from Cooper Rush and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. This single play basically sealed the win for Pittsburgh.
Jaquan Brisker (Pittsburgh)
Safety Jaquan Brisker made an impressive debut with the Steelers. He intercepted a pass in his very first game with the team. He also recorded six total tackles, with four of them being solo tackles. He did not allow a single completion on any pass thrown in his coverage area during the game. This was a strong first showing for a player who was new to the team.
Jamel Dean (Pittsburgh)
Cornerback Jamel Dean also had a strong performance, especially against the run. On a key third down and one play, he forced a fumble by tackling Bijan Robinson hard, which is not an easy thing to do since Robinson is known for being tough to bring down.
Keeanu Benton (Pittsburgh)
Defensive lineman Keeanu Benton also contributed with three total tackles, including two solo tackles, and one quarterback pressure. His steady play along the defensive line helped Pittsburgh control the line of scrimmage for most of the game.
Special Teams Stats
Special teams played a bigger role in this game than usual, mostly because of missed kicks.
Chris Boswell (Pittsburgh)
Chris Boswell made both of his field goal attempts, a 43 yarder and a 28 yarder. He also added an extra point after the Freiermuth touchdown. However, he did miss a long 56 yard attempt late in the game that would have extended Pittsburgh’s lead even more.
Nick Folk (Atlanta)
Nick Folk had a difficult day kicking for Atlanta. He made one field goal from 51 yards, but he missed two other attempts, one from 54 yards and one from 45 yards. Those two misses were costly, since Atlanta lost by only seven points. If even one of those kicks had gone through, the final result could have looked very different.
Team Stats Comparison
Looking at team level numbers also helps explain how this game played out.
- Pittsburgh ran 64 total offensive plays, which is a high number for a Week 1 game. Last season, the Steelers did not reach that play count until Week 12.
- Both teams struggled badly on third and fourth down. Combined, they converted only 5 out of 26 chances on those downs.
- Atlanta had chances in the red zone, but their execution was not sharp enough on this day to fully capitalize.
These numbers show that this was a defensive battle more than a shootout, with both teams fighting for every yard.
Why This Game Mattered
This win extended Pittsburgh’s streak against Atlanta. The Steelers have now beaten the Falcons in six straight matchups, and Atlanta has not beaten Pittsburgh since 2006. At home, Pittsburgh’s record against Atlanta is now 8 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie all time. This history shows just how dominant Pittsburgh has been in this matchup over the years.
For the Falcons, this loss means they start the 2026 season at 0-1. The turnovers by Cooper Rush and the missed field goals by Nick Folk will likely be the biggest points of focus as they prepare for their next game. For the Steelers, the win gives Coach McCarthy his first victory in Pittsburgh, and it shows that the defense, led by players like T.J. Watt and Jaquan Brisker, can be a real strength for the team this season.
Final Thoughts
This Steelers vs Falcons game had a bit of everything: touchdowns, missed field goals, a pick six, and strong individual efforts on both sides of the ball. Aaron Rodgers played a calm and controlled game, Bijan Robinson showed his talent even on a tough rushing day, and T.J. Watt proved once again why he is one of the best defensive players in the league. If you are a fan of either team, this game gave plenty of stats and storylines to talk about heading into the rest of the 2026 season.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of the Steelers vs Falcons game?
The Pittsburgh Steelers won the game 20-13 over the Atlanta Falcons. The game was played on September 13, 2026, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
Who had the best stats in the Steelers vs Falcons game?
T.J. Watt was one of the standout players with two sacks and a 35 yard interception return for a touchdown. On offense, Aaron Rodgers threw for 223 yards and a touchdown, while Bijan Robinson had 83 rushing yards and 90 receiving yards with a touchdown for Atlanta.
Why did the Falcons lose to the Steelers?
The Falcons lost mainly because of turnovers and missed field goals. Quarterback Cooper Rush threw two interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown. Kicker Nick Folk also missed two field goal attempts, which cost the team valuable points in a close game.
