The Falcons Know the Steelers, They Just Don’t Know These Steelers

FLOWERY BRANCH – After eight long months, the Atlanta Falcons are finally kicking off their 2026 regular season in Pittsburgh. The Falcons will debut a new generation, with a revamped coaching staff and front office, but their opponents will face eerily similar circumstances.

For Atlanta, the challenge is more than preparing for a talented Steelers roster.

For the first time since 2007, the Steelers will have a head coach other than Mike Tomlin roaming the sidelines. In his place, Mike McCarthy will coach his first official game for the black and gold, with a brand-new offensive coordinator (Brian Angelico) and defensive coordinator (Patrick Graham) calling the plays.

Every Week 1 matchup carries an element of the unknown – a new crop of rookies will make their debuts, several veterans will be playing in new homes, and new schemes will be unveiled across the league. Preparing for a franchise undergoing as much change as the Steelers have can be especially tricky.

The reigning AFC North champions will retain several pieces from last year’s unit, including several future Hall of Famers like Aaron Rodgers, Cameron Hayward, and T.J. Watt, while adding contributors like Rico Dowdle and Michael Pittman Jr.

Preparing for this group will be a unique challenge for Kevin Stefanski and his staff. By Sunday at kickoff, they will have watched several franchises to see what flavors each new player and coach will bring to their new team in Pittsburgh.

Stefanski acknowledged that on Monday, but cautioned that he is wary of overburdening his players with too much film to study.

“In Week 1 of the season, I think coaches are excited when it goes to Week 2, and you have tape to watch of what it's going to look like, because it's impossible to watch all that tape and prepare for all of that,” he said. “Now, do we – because we're crazy people – watch a lot of it? Yes. But it's our job to make sure we give our players a plan and then understand as much as it is about your opponent – who you respect and is a great opponent, it's also about you and how you perform, how you execute on what you’ve been working so hard for over the past few months.”

New Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has some experience against Graham (new Steelers DC) from their previous stops, having prepared for him twice over the last two seasons. He was the primary play-caller for the Browns last season in their matchup, and his offense managed 24 points in the win (but only gained 270 total yards).

Their experience against one another is significant, but both have new personnel that give them different sets of tools to work with. That makes their ability to adjust during the game especially important.

“You’ve got to find ways to stay efficient and stay effective,” Rees said. “We're familiar with the personnel and how he wants to use the personnel; that's a challenge. We’ve got to be great in-game at making adjustments and getting a beat on how they want to play us.”

Both coaches have plenty of experience coaching against the Steelers from their time in Cleveland, and Stefanski has been just under .500 since 2020 (6-7), so they will be very familiar with their personnel.

Handling it, however, can be a different thing entirely.

While most of them are on the back end of their respective careers, the Falcons’ staff has lots of respect for what they have accomplished – and still can.

“Obviously, he's (Rodgers) one of the best quarterbacks that has ever played this game, and still playing at a very high level,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “On top of all of that, I think he's got an arsenal of weapons at his disposal as well: the receiving corps, the tight end group, the two running backs. Then the way that, historically, Coach McCarthy has featured guys with very specific roles and skill sets, it's going to be a great challenge.”

On offense, Rees will need to be cognizant of Watt, Hayward, Alex Highsmith, and several other members of an elite pressure unit. The system has plenty of depth and versatility, making it difficult to prepare for, even if the Falcons knew exactly what to expect.

“I mean, they've gotten older, but they're certainly still very effective,” Rees said. “They're high motor, high skill level, high intellect. They know what they're doing out there. They’ve played a lot of football.”

The Falcons know the personnel, and they have a solid idea of some tendencies, but none of that guarantees they will know what the Steelers will look like once the ball is kicked off. It’s the challenge of Week 1, but preparation can only take you so far when the opponent is still figuring itself out, too.

For Stefanski and the Falcons, it’s about making sure they have their stuff right.

“You need to make sure that you have your own stuff in order,” he said, “and make sure that you're performing at a high level, because your execution is on point based on all the work we've put in since April.”

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