Compared to how the NFL’s first few games of the 2026 regular season unfolded, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game against the Atlanta Falcons certainly looked like a Week-1 game. With top-two quarterbacks on the visiting team both injured, the Falcons relied on third-string QB Cooper Rush, who surprisingly looked good despite coming off a health setback himself. Meanwhile, the Steelers offense, which was touted to be better as Aaron Rodgers reunited with his former head coach Mike McCarthy, looked eerily similar to 2025. And Rodgers playing it safe wasn’t it.

Penalties and unwanted drops, especially by the lead wide receiver DK Metcalf, kept the hosts on edge throughout the 40 minutes. And while the Steel Curtain defense, led by the strengths of Cam Heyward and TJ Watt, impressed Rodgers, the veteran QB wasn’t pleased with some officiating calls despite a 20-13 win.

“I think we did a lot of good things out there. We had a chance to be really, really explosive,” Rodgers told FOX Sports. “We had a couple of drops, off targets, a couple of non-calls looked like penalties. So that changes the stats. You look up [at the scoreboard], you’re like, eh. We had a 40-yard [pass interference], and it could have been a touchdown. We had a couple of other ones that could have been big plays. We were just a little bit off.”

Overall, Rodgers’ chemistry with his primary WR, Metcalf, did not look the best throughout the day as the receiver had a rather down evening. Penalties became another problem for him last night, with two of them being the rare offensive pass interference in the first half when he seemingly pushed his defenders, one of which looked like a normal nudge. There were more reasons for Rodgers to be upset.

On one third-down attempt in the first half, Rodgers looked for Metcalf down the left sideline. As he threw the ball, the defender held his arm, preventing Metcalf from catching the ball. While this would probably be the first call on Rodgers’ mind, this wasn’t the end of his rant.

“We had a lot of chances,” Rodgers said later. “I mean Roman [Wilson] gets interfered with; that’s going to be a touchdown. DK gets interfered with; they don’t call it. DK gets interfered with in the end zone, almost makes a heroic catch; they don’t call it. We had some opportunities.

“Oh, first third down of the game, DK in the slot, beats him, getting held, no call. So, it was interesting. There were a lot of flags, but some of those where we had a chance weren’t the flags. But, I like the plan from Mike, I like the play calling. We took some shots.”

Rodgers highlighted a key second-quarter play where a touchdown was wiped away by a tactical defensive foul. Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell interfered with a pass intended for Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson. Had Terrell not interfered, that would have been a touchdown for Wilson. By tackling Wilson early, Terrell committed a penalty, choosing to surrender a 37-yard pass interference spot foul rather than giving up a direct score.

While the refs correctly flagged the play, Rodgers noted that the intentional foul prevented what would have otherwise been a touchdown. But this could put Rodgers on the league’s bad books in his final season.

The NFL takes public criticism of officiating very seriously. Under league rules, a verbal or non-physical offense against an official carries a $33,523 fine for a first-time offense. While Aaron Rodgers openly pointed out missed calls during his post-game comments, the league hasn’t handed down any discipline or announced a fine for the veteran QB yet. However, this week’s win was an eye-opener, especially for the Steelers’ offense.

The Steelers’ offense needs to buckle up going into the next stretch

Any time you ask Aaron Rodgers how he feels returning to the field with Pittsburgh, he often has the same answer: “I’m taking it slow and enjoying it.” But considering the intensity the next couple of matchups would bring, sailing freely would no longer be the option if he truly wishes to reach the playoffs easily.

The Steelers will be traveling to New England to face the Super Bowl LX finalists next week. While their defense looks top-notch with Watt and Heyward continuing to improve their resume, their offense needs a lot of work against the type of defense the Patriots are bringing. If Week-1 could be any lesson, it should be that if the Steelers go against a QB1 team, their defense would not be enough to hold on for a win.

The Pats and the Cincinnati Bengals both bring MVP-level QB1s. However, while Metcalf and Roman Wilson’s performance was concerning in the first half, Rodgers also did not look his best.

The four-time MVP ended his night with 24 of 40 passes for 221 yards, a solid outing, but not the most impactful numbers. Add to that the fact that he only helped with one touchdown. The rest of the scores came off of two field goals by Chris Boswell and a defensive touchdown by TJ Watt. Then again, the Steelers cannot continue carrying the problems they had last season.

Their wide receivers have the abilities, and last night could very well be an off day, but it wasn’t close to what they are capable of.

Metcalf ended the night with only four receptions on ten targets for 40 yards. Worse than that was the fact that he had two of the team’s total seven penalties to his name, amounting to a loss of 20 yards. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s defense delivered decisive plays down the stretch.

From the get-go, Heyward became a problem for Rush, batting off three of his throws in the very first half. Later, Watt came in.

T.J. Watt recorded two critical sacks and helped keep the Falcons’ passing attack completely out of sync, allowing the Steelers to maintain their lead while the Falcons remained within striking distance. In fact, the Steelers won because of Watt’s touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers face the Patriots next. Until then, as Rodgers said:

“It’s good to be out of here 1-0, though.”