Behind the Steel Curtain

Aaron Rodgers was OK, not great, but he didn't need to do a lot thanks to a defense that was stifling against a battered Falcons team playing its third-string QB; he played with more freedom and aggression than he did last season, but the unit struggled to produce points against the Falcons and had the worst success rate in the NFL for Week 1.

AJ Brown, the Patriots' top receiver, landed on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain against Seattle in Week 1, removing their leading pass-catcher from the Week 2 matchup against Pittsburgh.

Kenneth Walker shined in his Chiefs debut, with the source suggesting Kansas City might have an explosion in the run game again, indicating strong early performance and potential for increased offensive production.

Darnell Washington delivered a notable stiff arm performance in Week 1 against Atlanta, earning approval from the source with the phrase 'Gronk approves of Darnell Washington's stiff arm,' highlighting his physical play and potential impact as a tight end in the Steelers offense.

Jaylen Warren forced four missed tackles on ten rushes but lost a fumble in Week 1. Despite accumulating 37 yards after contact, the source assesses Warren as still looking like a solid runner, though the Steelers offense needs better balance between passing and running.

Aaron Rodgers averaged 5.6 yards per attempt on 40 attempts in Week 1 against Atlanta. While this efficiency is par for the course for Rodgers, the source emphasizes that the passing offense has to threaten defenses down the field more to improve offensive balance and performance.

Rookie returner Kaden Wetjen logged 10 special teams snaps in Week 1, contributing to the Steelers' special teams.

Rookie Eli Heidenreich logged 13 special teams snaps in Week 1, contributing to the Steelers' new special teams group.

Ben Skowronek logged 18 special teams snaps in Week 1, remaining a big piece of the Steelers' special teams.

Riley Nowakowski saw eight offensive snaps in a fullback/H-back role in Week 1 and also logged 17 special teams snaps as a rookie contributor.

Robert Tonyan logged just two offensive snaps in Week 1, a significant departure from the Arthur Smith era's heavy tight end usage. Tonyan also saw minimal special teams snaps (three), indicating limited involvement in the new offensive scheme.

Pat Freiermuth played 49 offensive snaps in Week 1 and had a bounce-back performance after a quiet 2025, recording five catches for 46 yards and a touchdown against Atlanta. His strong showing marks a departure from the Arthur Smith era and positions him as a TE1.

Darnell Washington played 43 offensive snaps in Week 1, remaining a key part of the Steelers' offense despite the team's shift toward 11 personnel under head coach Mike McCarthy. Washington recorded two catches for 18 yards and remained a key run blocker, including a highlight-worthy stiff arm.

Roman Wilson showed a clear lead in the Steelers' WR3 role with 37 offensive snaps in Week 1, ahead of rookie second-round pick Germie Bernard (three snaps). The WR3 job is Wilson's to lose.

Rookie second-round wide receiver Germie Bernard logged just three of the Steelers' 67 total offensive snaps in Week 1, with Roman Wilson showing a clear lead in the WR3 role with 37 snaps. Despite the high draft capital invested in Bernard, the Steelers still have big plans for the rookie down the road, but the WR3 job is Wilson's to lose for now.

Roman Wilson is receiving increased involvement in the Steelers' offense as part of a strengthened pass-catcher group alongside the addition of Michael Pittman Jr. and Pat Freiermuth. This elevated role suggests more targets and playing time compared to the prior season.

Pat Freiermuth is receiving increased involvement in the Steelers' offense as part of a strengthened pass-catcher group alongside the addition of Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson. This elevated role suggests more targets and playing time compared to the prior season.

The addition of Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers' pass-catcher group, combined with increased involvement from Pat Freiermuth and Roman Wilson, has the Steelers' receiving corps already looking much stronger compared to last year. This suggests expanded role and opportunity for Pittman in the offense.

Second-round pick Germie Bernard still isn't rotating in with the starters despite the Steelers' pass-catcher group needing depth and production. This suggests limited early-season role and playing time for the rookie.

DK Metcalf had an especially rough game against Atlanta, leaving some explosive plays on the table with an opportunity for maybe another 150 yards. Despite Rodgers' improved play and several "wow" throws, Metcalf and the pass-catcher group recorded drops, failed to complete several contested grabs, and were blatantly interfered with on a few reps.

After a 2025 season where Rodgers often looked too willing to revert to a dink-and-dunk passing game, he looked more like a gunslinger against the Falcons in Week 1. He was extending plays, pushing the ball deep, and recording several "wow" throws. According to Next Gen Stats, Rodgers set highs or near-highs for his Steelers career in time to throw and air yards per target on Sunday, and his passing map showed him accessing every area of the field—a marked improvement from Justin Fields' limited middle-of-field access in the 2024 Steelers-Falcons matchup.

Dowdle received 8 carries in Week 1 compared to 10 for Jaylen Warren and managed just 1.9 yards per carry, which the source flags as concerning. He was outclassed by Warren both on the ground and as a receiver. The source notes Dowdle will need to pick up efficiency if the Steelers run game is to take a step forward this season, suggesting his role may be at risk if performance doesn't improve.

Warren paced the Steelers running back room with 10 carries compared to 8 for Rico Dowdle in Week 1. The source notes Warren outclassed Dowdle both on the ground and as a receiver, consistently looking more explosive and effective when on the field. This usage advantage and performance split suggest Warren is the more dynamic option in the backfield despite the combined 61 yards on 18 carries.

Metcalf had a disappointing Week 1 with 4 catches on 10 targets for 40 yards. He committed two offensive pass interference penalties (one negating a 19-yard catch and run), dropped a pass over the middle that would have gained at least 20 yards, and failed to drag his feet down the sideline on a 4th-and-3 attempt. The source emphasizes drops as the biggest issue and notes this was supposed to be Metcalf's breakout season after disappointing first year in Pittsburgh and added receiver help. Fans booed after a critical drop, signaling frustration.

Rodgers' Week 1 performance exceeded the 24-of-40 box score; he averaged over 10 yards per target and posted an ADOT of 10.5 after a 6.16 mark last season, demonstrating a significant increase in downfield aggression. PFF awarded him an 85.7 grade, first among all quarterbacks. Over 100 yards were left on the field due to drops, penalties, and a missed pass interference call. The source notes Rodgers looked largely comfortable and put pass-catchers in position to make plays, with the main concern being timing rust with receivers after limited preseason work.

DK Metcalf was targeted 10 times by Aaron Rodgers in Week 1 but only caught four passes; the source attributes the disconnect to two plays that could have been called pass interference and a few drops by Metcalf, indicating both external factors (officiating/playcalling rhythm) and execution issues that may affect his early-season fantasy consistency.

Aaron Rodgers targeted DK Metcalf 10 times but only connected four times in Week 1 season opener; McCarthy self-critiqued his playcalling as "herky jerky" and acknowledged not getting players into rhythm at certain parts of the game, suggesting early-season offensive rhythm issues may impact Rodgers' fantasy output despite the 20-13 win.

Aaron Rodgers needs more from his receivers; the source identifies receiver performance as a limiting factor in his Week 1 output.

Pittman had a quiet but strong Week 1 debut, catching all 3 passes thrown his way for 58 yards. The source characterizes this as a solid opening performance for the new Steelers receiver.

Freiermuth caught a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers in Week 1, set up by Jaquan Brisker's interception. The source notes it was good to see Freiermuth start on the right foot after he was vocal at the end of last season about frustrations with his snap count being reduced. He is now back to being a top-notch pass-catching tight end.

Wilson dropped a deep ball from Rodgers in Week 1 that would have been a 44-yard touchdown. The source describes the play: Rodgers launched a deep ball to Wilson, contact was made, Wilson fought through it and jumped in the air with the ball in his hands, but when he came to the ground, the ball popped out. This drop was part of a larger pattern of receiver miscues that cost Rodgers 104 yards and 1 TD.

Metcalf had a poor Week 1 outing on 10 targets, catching just 4 passes for 40 yards. One reception was negated by his second offensive pass interference penalty of the day, erasing a 19-yard gain. He also failed to drag his feet on a well-thrown sideline ball that would have gone for 21 yards and dropped Rodgers' best throw of the day between two Falcons defenders that would have gained 20 yards. In total, Metcalf's drops and penalties cost the Steelers 104 yards and 1 TD.

Rodgers finished Week 1 with 24-of-40, 221 yards, and 1 TD, but the source argues his box score undersells his performance. Multiple high-quality throws were dropped or negated by penalties: DK Metcalf dropped a 20-yard pass and had a 19-yard reception erased by pass interference; Roman Wilson dropped a 44-yard touchdown; and a 40-yard pass interference penalty was not called. In total, those plays cost Rodgers 104 yards and a touchdown. Had those been caught, Rodgers would have posted 28-of-40, 325 yards, and 2 TDs. Rodgers himself noted explosive plays were available and expressed confidence in the offense's approach.

Jack Sawyer argues that a more competent game from Metcalf could have led to much better offensive results in the Steelers' win over Atlanta, suggesting his performance was a limiting factor in the passing game despite the team's improved scheme execution.

Rodgers' 9.2 air yards per target against the Falcons were the most he has recorded during his time in Pittsburgh, with his 2.95-second time to throw being his third-highest average as a Steeler; however, Jack Sawyer notes his diminished efficiency suggests the offensive scheme is still developing despite these positive volume metrics.

Bijan Robinson was an all-world running back in space against the Steelers, with most of the secondary's open-field tackling misses coming against him, though the Steelers' defense ultimately held up well in coverage.

Kyle Pitts was shut out of the box score against the Steelers' secondary, which held up well in coverage despite being down top corner Joey Porter Jr. and starting safety DeShon Elliott.

Drake London was limited to two catches for 29 yards against the Steelers' secondary, which held up well in coverage despite being down top corner Joey Porter Jr. and starting safety DeShon Elliott.

Jaylen Warren fumbled on Pittsburgh's own 27-yard line early in the game, leading to Atlanta's lone touchdown drive, but finished the day with a solid 4.6 yards per carry, making up for his earlier mistake as the run game took until the end of the game to get going.

Darnell Washington, recently signed to an extension, logged two grabs and recorded a highlight-worthy stiff arm against Atlanta. Jack Sawyer notes it will be interesting to see how the team involves Washington more in the offense in 2026, as his impact wasn't always felt in a run game that took until the end of the game to get going.