Steelers Close Out Impressive Preseason By Defeating Falcons, 24-0

The Steelers’ immaculate preseason came to a perfect close with their performance. The first-team offence added two additional touchdown drives to its total, making that unit 5-for-5 in scoring touchdowns in the preseason for the 2023 season. They went 3-0, winning all of their games handily.

Oh, and maybe the most important factor in that equation was that no front-line player suffered a serious injury throughout the Steelers’ participation in the process. In the Steelers’ 24-0 rout of the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren scored touchdown runs to cap off the two possessions during which the first-team offence was on the field.

Kenny Pickett completed all four of his throws for 86 yards in this game, which helped set up Harris and Warren’s touchdown runs. Pickett ended the preseason 13 of 15 for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions with a passer rating of 158.3.

Despite the fact that none of Atlanta’s starters were on the field, the Steelers knew they needed to perform well. It was about ending strong and consolidating the preseason, according to Pickett. “Our main objective was to go out there and score points. That’s a tremendously positive sign that we were 2-for-2 in touchdowns.

Pickett completed a 92-yard drive with a 35-yard pass to George Pickens down the right sideline to set up Harris’ score, before connecting with Diontae Johnson for a 33-yard gain on third-and-5, finding Johnson down the left sideline.

The grab was classic Pickens in the sense that he twisted his body to keep his feet in bounds while reaching above cornerback Natrone Brooks to catch the throw. After Elandon Roberts had a 4-yard tackle for a loss on first down and T.J. Watt had picked up a second-down sack to further push the Falcons behind the chains on the following Atlanta possession, the Steelers defence forced a three-and-out.

Following Calvin Austin III’s 21-yard punt return to the Atlanta 29, Pickett and company once more dispatched of the Falcons easily. He connected with Harris on a screen for a 16-yard gain. Harris then gained 5 yards to put the ball on the Atlanta 8-yard line. Warren then scored through a large hole on the right side of the line to make it 14-0. The offence, defence, and special teams all worked together as they had all preseason.

Linebacker Alex Highsmith stated, “That’s how it’s supposed to work.” We are meant to stop them so that the offence can get advantageous field position. The offence goes down there and scores by doing what it does. Overall, all three phases performed well, therefore it was a team victory.

At that time, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin decided his first-team offence had served its purpose and brought in his second unit. Another three-and-out was forced by the defence, and Mitch Trubisky led two scoring drives. The first two led to a 38-yard field goal by Chris Boswell to finish the first quarter and a 5-yard touchdown run by Anthony McFarland to make it 24-0.

In total yards, the Steelers lead the Falcons 220-8 at the time. In the first half, they outgained Atlanta by 253-55. To start the second half, the Falcons finally put together a sustained drive, but Pittsburgh’s Carlos Washington fumbled and was recovered by safety Kenny Robinson, ending the Atlanta threat and protecting the shutout despite the fact that it occurred against Atlanta’s backups.

Patrick Peterson, a 13-year veteran cornerback with the Steelers, remarked, “It doesn’t matter. They are experts. It’s their fault; one of their men should have been deployed. My second professional shutout, and my first in a preseason game. I may have played one versus the Giants in 2019 or 2020. That was really fantastic. Every time a defence manages to get a shutout, it’s satisfying because keeping players out of the end zone is something you always aim for, and that’s what we were able to do.

The Steelers had sacks from Watt, Roberts, Toby Ndukwe, Quincy Roche, and rookie Nick Herbig. Roche’s sack forced a fumble the Steelers recovered just before the two-minute warning, while Herbig’s sack gave the fourth-round overall selection a team-best 3.5 in the preseason.

McFarland led the Steelers’ 175-yard rushing effort, accumulating 55 yards on 10 carries, including a 31-yard run. Kenny Pickett completed all four of his throws for 86 yards in this game, which helped set up Harris and Warren’s touchdown runs.

Pickett ended the preseason 13 of 15 for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions with a passer rating of 158.3. He completed a 92-yard drive with a 35-yard toss to George Pickens down the right sideline to the Atlanta 1. He then connected with Johnson down the left sideline for a 33-yard gain on third-and-5.

The grab was classic Pickens in the sense that he twisted his body to keep his feet in bounds while reaching above cornerback Natrone Brooks to catch the throw. After Elandon Roberts had a 4-yard tackle for a loss on first down and T.J. Watt had picked up a second-down sack to further push the Falcons behind the chains on the following Atlanta possession, the Steelers defence forced a three-and-out.

Following Calvin Austin III’s 21-yard punt return to the Atlanta 29, Pickett and company once more dispatched of the Falcons easily. He connected with Harris on a screen for a 16-yard gain. Harris then gained 5 yards to put the ball on the Atlanta 8-yard line.

Warren then scored through a large hole on the right side of the line to make it 14-0. At that time, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin decided his first-team offence had served its purpose and brought in his second unit. Another three-and-out was forced by the defence, and Mitch Trubisky led two scoring drives. The first two led to a 38-yard field goal by Chris Boswell to finish the first quarter and a 5-yard touchdown run by Anthony McFarland to make it 24-0.

In total yards, the Steelers lead the Falcons 220-8 at the time. In the first half, they outgained Atlanta by 253-55. The Falcons managed a sustained drive to begin the second half, but cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and linebacker Mark Robinson intercepted Carlos Washington’s pass at the Pittsburgh 5 to put an end to Atlanta’s danger.

The Steelers had sacks from Watt, Roberts, Toby Ndukwe, Quincy Roche, and rookie Nick Herbig. Roche’s sack forced a fumble the Steelers recovered just before the two-minute warning, while Herbig’s sack gave the fourth-round overall selection a team-best 3.5 in the preseason. McFarland led the Steelers’ 175-yard rushing effort, accumulating 55 yards on 10 carries, including a 31-yard run.