ATLANTA – All eyes were on the quarterbacks, but Chris Boswell’s strong right leg took center stage in the season opener.
Boswell kicked six field goals, three of them over 50 yards, and accounted for all of Pittsburgh’s points as Justin Fields and the Steelers earned a laborious 18-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Fields stepped in after Russell Wilson’s Steelers debut was cut short by a calf injury – and got a great assist from Boswell and a defense that made life difficult for Kirk Cousins in his first game as Atlanta’s quarterback.
“Having a weapon like him on offense means we just have to get the ball to the 40,” Fields said of Boswell. “That makes our job a lot easier.”
Boswell scored from 57, 56, 51, 44, 40 and 25 yards – and even stepped in in the final minutes to block a crucial punt after Cameron Johnston was injured.
Johnston went down when an Atlanta player blocked him, which actually resulted in a penalty for the Steelers. Pittsburgh had to punt again, with Boswell taking over that task.
He did a good job, completing a 43-yard punt that the Falcons couldn’t return.
“I can’t say enough about Bos, not only for kicking the ball, but for timing the punt,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
Two plays later, Cousins threw his second interception, essentially sealing Pittsburgh’s victory.
Wilson was ruled out shortly before the game and worked as an inactive third quarterback on the sidelines. Pittsburgh kept the game call to itself under new coordinator Arthur Smith, who was fired in January after three seasons as Atlanta’s head coach.
Smith certainly got some revenge on his former employer, while new Falcons coach Raheem Morris endured a difficult start to a season with high expectations in Atlanta, which has suffered six consecutive losing seasons.
“We have to be able to compete against anyone,” Morris said. “When you play against a team like that, the Pittsburgh Steelers with their defense, you know it’s going to be a dirty game. But we had our chances.”
Cousins hardly looked like a quarterback who deserved the four-year, $180 million contract the Falcons gave him as a free agent, including $100 million in guaranteed salary. He didn’t play at all in the preseason as he recovered from an Achilles injury that prematurely ended his final season with Minnesota.
In his first game since Oct. 29, Cousins completed just 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards, with two interceptions, including a pick by Donte Jackson and a 49-yard return about 2 1/2 minutes into the game that dashed any hopes of an Atlanta comeback.
In a fitting finale, Cousins was sacked on the last play of the game, prompting a final roar from thousands of towel-waving Steelers fans that turned Mercedes-Benz Stadium into Pittsburgh South.
A week into the season, Atlanta is once again facing questions about its long-troubled quarterback position, and the situation is sure to get worse with first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. on the bench.
Fields, the former first-round pick released by the Chicago Bears, completed 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards. He dropped his first snap of the game – and quickly took advantage of it – but didn’t make the kind of big mistakes that plagued Cousins and the Falcons.
Atlanta also lost a fumble when Ross Dwelley got moving and Cousins apparently signaled him to stop and ran right in front of the shotgun snap. TJ Watt, who seemed to be everywhere, recovered the ball for the Steelers.
That was more than deserved. Watt also caused two more fumbles – one of which he recovered – but both plays were canceled by penalties.
On the next play after one of those flags, Cousins found Kyle Pitts completely free in the end zone and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass that gave the Falcons a 10-6 lead with 32 seconds left in the first half.
Fields responded with a 41-yard pass to George Pickens, who left the field with just 3 seconds left. Boswell came in and kicked his third field goal of the half.
The Steelers didn’t exactly look like an offensive power, but it was still a satisfying result for their new offensive coordinator.
Smith was fired by the Falcons after three consecutive 7-10 seasons.
“I know how competitive he is, so it definitely meant a lot to him,” Fields said. “I know he wishes we could have scored more points, but I know he’s happy we won.”
Steelers: Johnston’s right leg buckled when Atlanta’s KhaDarel Hodge ran over him. The punter immediately waved to the sideline for help. “He appears to have a serious injury,” said Tomlin, who called Johnston an “absolute stud.” … CB Darius Rush was evaluated for a possible concussion.
Falcons: OG Chris Lindstrom was cleared to return after being evaluated for a possible head injury during the first half.
Steelers: Play their second consecutive road game to open the season when they face the Denver Broncos next Sunday. If Wilson can play, it’s a chance at redemption against the team where he spent two miserable seasons before being released and signing with Pittsburgh.
Falcons: Travel to Philadelphia next Monday night for a prime-time game against the Eagles.
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