Boswell Does it All, Steelers Scrape Past Falcons, 18-10
Pittsburgh Steelers 18, Atlanta Falcons 10: Chris Boswell kicked six field goals and T.J. Watt was a menace in a narrow Steelers win.
ATLANA — Chris Boswell kicked a team-high six field goals as the Pittsburgh Steelers offense did just enough to earn the team a 18-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons to open the 2024 regular season.
Boswell set a team record as the first kicker to hit three field goals of more than 50 yards in one game. He recorded scoring boots of 57, 56, 51, 44, 40 and 25 yards to provide all of Pittsburgh’s points.
At a critical juncture of the fourth quarter, when punter Cameron Johnston was injured after Miles Killebrew blocked an Atlanta player into his leg, Boswell even punted for the Steelers, booting a 46-yarder with no return.
With Johnston out, wide receiver Scotty Miller held for Boswell’s final attempt, letting him tie the team record with six field goals. Boswell kicked six at Cincinnati in 2016, and Jeff Reed had six field goals against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2002. Boswell also kicked six in a playoff game against Kansas City.
It needed to be a big day for special teams, because the Steelers offense, led by backup Justin Fields after starter Russell Wilson was ruled out just before the game with a calf injury, moved the ball infrequently and erratically.
They dealt with multiple issues with the quarterback-center exchange, multiple alignment penalties, drops and miscues throughout the game. The clearest drive they had all day, a 12-play effort in the fourth quarter, ended without points when Fields was stuffed on a 4th and 1 dive.
Fields completed 17 of his 22 passes for 156 yards. He did not turn the ball over, and was sacked only once. His favorite target was George Pickens, who caught six passes for 85 yards. Pat Freiermuth added four for 27.
Najee Harris was the team’s most consistent offensive weapon. He rushed 16 times for 72 yards and also caught one pass for nine, though Harris, too, had an uncharacteristic drop.
The Pittsburgh defense terrorized the Falcons passing offense throughout the game. Kirk Cousins, making his first start in Atlanta and since an Achilles injury ended his 2023 season, never looked comfortable in the pocket against the Pittsburgh pass rush.
T.J. Watt forced two fumbles, that were both called back due to penalty flags — one of them was an extremely questionable offsides call on Watt. He recovered a third when the Falcons botched a snap. When he got his passes away, Cousins had two taken away by new Steelers defensive backs Donte Jackson and DeShon Elliott. Jackson nearly had a second. Watt had two sacks and Montravius Adams added another.
Donte Jackson with the interception taking the Steelers inside the 20 💪
Via @NFL | @steelers | #KickOff2024pic.twitter.com/YSLVC4LVC9
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) September 8, 2024
Cousins was able to find the end zone once, finding tight end Kyle Pitts behind rookie cornerback Beanie Bishop in zone coverage. That made it 10-6 Atlanta just before the half.
Fields connected on a long bomb to Pickens to set up another Boswell field goal before the half to cut the lead to one point.
In the second half, the Watt fumble recovery set up another Boswell field goal and a 40-yard connection between Fields and Pickens set up another.
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