Sunday was poetic justice for several members of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who recorded an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in their regular-season opener.
Justin Fields, a former first-round pick and Georgia native, won his first career start as a member of the Steelers in a game that was played in his home state. Arthur Smith, fired this offseason following three years as the Falcons coach, defeated his former team in what was his first game as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator.
And cornerback Donte Jackson, the longtime Carolina Panther who was traded to Pittsburgh this offseason, made a big interception in the fourth quarter after dropping a sure pick on the game's first drive.
Each of those players were key to Pittsburgh's' win, but so too were kicker Chris Boswell and T.J. Watt. Boswell drilled each of his six field goal attempts before drilling his first career punt 43 yards after normal punter Cameron Johnston suffered an injury. Boswell's boot came moments before Jackson's pick.
Jackson's pick was one of three turnovers by the Falcons, who are probably regretting their decision by not playing Cousins during the preseason. Conversely, Fields and Co. did not turn the ball over and were vastly more effective than their counterparts on third down.
Fields finished the day with 156 yards on 17 of 23 passing in addition to his 57 yards rushing on 12 carries. George Pickens led the Steelers with 86 yards on six grabs that included a 40-yard catch that set up Boswell's fifth field goal. Watt had a fumble recovery and the game-clinching sack on the game's final play.
Here's a closer look at how Pittsburgh pulled off the upset.
Why Pittsburgh won
As mentioned above, the Steelers played complementary football. They also executed their likely game plan of controlling the ball, scoring enough points to win and forcing turnovers on defense. Pittsburgh's defense forced three turnovers that the offense/special teams turned into nine points.
Fields wasn't always in the best spots, but he and the Steelers were still able to convert on nearly half of their third-down situations (8 of 17) that included several impressive conversions from the quarterback. Fields had a 12-yard run on third-down on Pittsburgh's opening drive (setting up Boswell's first field goal). He then had two third-down completions to Pickens that moved the chains on the Steelers' next drive that also ended with a Boswell field goal.
Fields also made enough throws downfield, a facet of his game that was on display this summer and one of the things that was largely missing from Pittsburgh's offense that past few years.
Why the Falcons lost
Cousins was outplayed by Fields, and that alone was one of the biggest reasons why the Falcons lost. Cousins actually threw for fewer yards than Fields (155 yards on 16 of 26 passing) and threw two bad interceptions, one to Jackson and another to DeShon Elliott that was in heavy traffic. Cousins never really found his rhythm.
Bijan Robinson (68 yards on 18 carries and 43 yards on five catches) had a nice day, but the Falcons needed more players to step up around him. In fact, the Falcons' most effective offensive player sans Robinson was former Steelers wideout Ray-Ray McCloud III, who caught four passes for 52 yards. Kyle Pitts and Drake London were held to a combined 58 yards on five receptions.
They could have gotten off the field more on defense, but that element of Atlanta's team was largely solid. They received big games from Mike Hughes (seven tackles that included three for loss), Matthew Judon and Grady Jarrett, who collected 1.5 sacks.
Turning point
After a slow start, the Falcons appeared to be finding their rhythm after they took the lead on Cousins' touchdown pass to Pitts with less than a minute left in the first half. But instead of being content with a four-point halftime deficit, Fields went deep and hit Pickens for a 33-yard gain that set up Boswell's third field goal on the final play of the half.
The Steelers then took the lead for good after Watt pounced on a Falcons fumble that was the rest of a miscommunication. A completion from Fields to MyCole Pruitt and two runs by Harris set up Boswell's 56-yard boot, giving the visitors a 12-10 lead.
Play of the game
We'll give it to Jackson, whose pick thwarted Atlanta's comeback bid while setting up Pittsburgh's final points of the day. Runner-up honors go to Pickens' 40-yard grab that extended the Steelers' lead to 15-10 entering the fourth quarter.
What's next
The Steelers stay on the road and head to Denver to face the Broncos and their rookie quarterback, Bo Nix. The Falcons have a tough Week 2 assignment as they will face the Eagles on the road on "Monday Night Football."