Check out updates from the Falcons’ season opener against the Steelers

Falcons kicker Nick Folk pushed a 54-yard field goal wide right. He had the distance, but the NFL's most accurate kicker over the past three years — he's missed only one field goal each season since 2023 — misfired.

Steelers 13, Falcons 7 with less than three minutes remaining in the second quarter.

It's been good so far. There haven't been a ton of big plays, and the only Steelers touchdown came after the turnover and on a short field. Even then, they held Aaron Rodgers to a third-down attempt on that scoring pass. 

They've also held the Steelers' run game in check. 

Good effort, including a turnover on the fumble recovery, and holding Pittsburgh to the two field goals instead of touchdowns. 

Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush overthrew receiver Jahan Dotson, and his pass went into the waiting arms of safety Jaquan Brisker, who secured the interception and gave the Steelers the ball at the Falcons 31 yard line.

Four plays later, Aaron Rodgers hit tight end Pat Freiermuth in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-3, giving the Steelers the lead, 13-7.

Falcons defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand suffered a knee injury and will be out for the remainder of the game.

The Falcons' defense delivered a big red-zone stand, forcing the Steelers to settle for a 28-yard field goal from kicker Chris Boswell.

Falcons 7, Steelers 6, with 12:28 remaining.

The Falcons have created a reasonable amount of pressure on Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

... a lot of Bijan is not a bad thing, as exemplified by that elite-level screen play that led to the go-ahead, 23-yard touchdown. 

Robinson has a way of turning what look to be short-gainer plays into big plays.

The Falcons carry a 7-3 lead over the Steelers at the end of the first quarter.

On the penultimate play of the quarter, the officials called Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell for holding, which negated what would've been defensive tackle Maason Smith's first sack since Dec. 29, 2024.

No matter, Smith had a terrific quarter, pairing the rep with a pass deflection and an early pressure. One of the Falcons' biggest summer standouts has met the moment thus far.

A rapid swing for the Falcons: Aided by a hot motor in pursuit, defensive end Cameron Thomas forced a fumble with a strong hit on running back Jaylen Warren, and linebacker Divine Deablo recovered it.

On third-and-8, after a pair of runs from Brian Robinson Jr., Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush threw a screen to Bijan Robinson, who was split out to the right. Blocks from receiver Chris Blair and tight end Charlie Woerner helped spring Robinson, who ran 23 yards to the end zone.

Falcons 7, Steelers 3 with 1:13 remaining in the first quarter.

With the quarterback issues, it was reasonable to expect a good portion of Bijan Robinson in the offensive mix today. 

So far, that's been right on the nose. 

Robinson had a run and screen pass on the first drive, and he's had two screens and a run on the second drive. This time, the 7-yard screen pass and 6-yard run combined for the Falcons' initial first down of the season. 

It's only a matter of time before the Steelers adjust, stacking the box and making Cooper Rush drop back and pass.

Steelers kicker Chris Boswell nailed a 43-yard field goal after an eight-play, 43-yard drive in just over 3½ minutes.

The Falcons have rolled in a wealth of bodies across their defense, which appeared likely during training camp because of their abundance of position- and role-flexible defenders.

Steelers 3, Falcons 0 with 8:30 remaining in the first quarter.