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NFL Week 1 Recap: Pittsburgh Steelers 18, Atlanta Falcons 10

2Y20DD8 Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) is stopped by Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Kentavius Street (75) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

With Russell Wilson sidelined due to a calf injury, Justin Fields took the reins and led the Pittsburgh Steelers to an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons, heavily supported by Chris Boswell’s standout kicking performance. 

Boswell nailed six field goals — three of which from beyond 50 yards — while the Steelers defense made life extremely uncomfortable for Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.

PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.

In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.

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PLAYER OF THE GAME

T.J. Watt lived up to expectations against Kirk Cousins in Week 1, causing havoc in the quarterback's Falcons debut.

Watt recorded a sack, two QB hits and two additional pass-rush wins across 23 pass-rush snaps, and he also recovered a fumble.

Watt forced two more fumbles that were negated by penalties, but his impact was undeniable. He also contributed three defensive stops against the run, rounding out a dominant performance.

BOX SCORE

Steelers Falcons
Total points 18 10
Total offensive plays 66 50
Average EPA per play -0.140 -0.369
Total net yards 275 220
Avg yards per play 4.2 4.4
Total first downs 16 15
Rushing first downs 8 6
Passing first downs 7 8
Penalty first downs 1 1
Third-down efficiency 47% 33%
Fourth-down efficiency 0% 17%
Possessions 10 10
Avg plays per drive 7.4 5.4
Avg yards per drive 25 20
Avg points per drive 1.6 0.9
Red-zone possessions 2 2
Red-zone plays 11 6
Red-zone TDs 0 1
Red-zone FGs 1 1
Red-zone scoring efficiency 50% 100%

SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION

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