PIT vs. ATL Game Thread, Sept. 12 2010

[steelrush]

1:00 PM ET
Falcons (0-0, 0-0 away)
Steelers (0-0, 0-0 home)
71°F / 56°F
Precip: 10%
Coverage: FOX
1:00 PM ET, September 12, 2010

Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA



2009 Atlanta Leaders

Passing: Ryan - 263-451, 2916 yds, 22 tds

Rushing: Turner - 178 car, 871 yds, 10 tds

Receiving: White - 85 rec, 1153 yds, 11 tds



2009 Pittsburgh Leaders

Passing: Roethlisb. - 337-506, 4328 yds, 26 tds

Rushing: Mendenhall - 242 car, 1108 yds, 7 tds

Receiving: Ward - 95 rec, 1167 yds, 6 tds



Falcons-Steelers Preview

Scouting ReportFalcons-Steelers: 10 observations

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Falcons-Steelers matchup.
1. Account for No. 43: The Steelers' defense is far more effective with the injury-prone Troy Polamalu in the lineup. Well, he is healthy and ready for the opener. Polamalu can line up just about anywhere on the field and is very difficult to account for in the pre-snap phase and once the ball is finally snapped. He provides both a mental and physical strain on the opposition.

Full Scouting Report


Matchup ATL- PIT

Passing Leaders

Atlanta CMP% YDS TD INT
Ryan 58.3 2916 22 14
Redman 58.0 781 4 3

Pittsburgh CMP% YDS TD INT
Roethl... 66.6 4328 26 12
Dixon 46.2 145 1 1

Rushing Leaders

Atlanta CAR YDS AVG TD
Turner 178 871 4.9 10
Snelli... 142 613 4.3 4

Pittsburgh CAR YDS AVG TD
Menden... 242 1108 4.6 7
Parker 98 389 4.0 0

Receiving Leaders

Atlanta REC YDS AVG TD
White 85 1153 13.6 11
Gonzal... 83 867 10.4 6

Pittsburgh REC YDS AVG TD
Holmes 79 1248 15.8 5
Ward 95 1167 12.3 6


Team Averages & NFL Ranks

TEAM OFFENSE TEAM PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards
ATL 340.0
PIT 371.0
Yards Passing
ATL 223.2
PIT 259.3
Yards Rushing
ATL 117.3
PIT 112.1

TEAM DEFENSE TEAM PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed
ATL 348.9
PIT 305.3
Pass Yds Allowed
ATL 242.1
PIT 215.4
Rush Yds Allowed
ATL 106.8
PIT 89.9

Head to Head Matchups (Since 2001)
Atlanta leads 1-0
Oct 22, 2006 ATL 41, @PIT 38
Nov 10, 2002 ATL 34, PIT 34

Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons closed 2009 with three straight wins, providing heightened expectations heading into the offseason despite the disappointment of failing to make the playoffs.

It didn't take long for the Steelers' momentum to disappear.

Off-field indiscretions led to the trade of a Super Bowl MVP wideout and Ben Roethlisberger's four-game suspension, leaving Pittsburgh to hand the offensive reins to Dennis Dixon for Sunday's season opener against the visiting Falcons.

The Steelers blew any chance to defend their Super Bowl XLIII title with a midseason five-game losing streak, which proved too much to overcome despite a late surge to finish 9-7.

Shortly after the NFL season ended, the two stars that combined for the winning touchdown in Pittsburgh's sixth championship were back in the news. Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a Milledgeville, Ga., bar on March 5, the second such allegation brought against him in eight months.

Charges were never filed, but commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Roethlisberger -- who threw for a career-high 4,238 yards in 2009 -- six games for violating the league's personal conduct policy. It was reduced to four at the conclusion of the preseason.

On March 24, a lawsuit was filed against receiver Santonio Holmes alleging he threw a glass at a woman in a nightclub. Less than three weeks later, Holmes was shipped to the New York Jets for a fifth-round draft pick.

Without their signal caller for a quarter of the season and Holmes now gone for good, the Steelers face a long road in an attempt to avoid their first consecutive non-playoff seasons since 1998-2000.

"It motivates each player in this room when they tell you what you can't do," receiver Hines Ward said. "We are going to be underdogs all year, especially the first four games with the uncertainly at quarterback and youth on our team. We play better as underdogs."

Speedy second-year receiver Mike Wallace replaces Holmes across from Ward, and those two will be counted on to make Dixon's job easier. The mobile third-year quarterback battled veterans Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch for the job in training camp, but coach Mike Tomlin's decision was made less complicated when Leftwich sprained his MCL in the preseason finale.

"Dennis has had a very productive preseason and training camp," Tomlin said. "... He waged a battle and got some first-team reps in some preseason games. Largely, we've been very impressed with how he's handled himself in game situations."

Dixon's lone NFL start came Nov. 29 at Baltimore, when he went 12 for 26 for 145 yards with a TD and an interception while Roethlisberger recovered from a concussion.

The Falcons, meanwhile, have a third-year starter with considerably more experience. Yet after completing 61.1 percent of his passes and being named the Offensive Rookie of the Year while leading the Falcons to the playoffs in 2008, Matt Ryan was less accurate (58.3) and took a small step backward in Atlanta's 9-7 season.

After missing two games with a toe injury, though, Ryan came back to throw six touchdowns in leading the Falcons to their final three victories.

Tight end Tony Gonzalez feels Ryan hasn't missed a beat ever since.

"He is looking great," Gonzalez said. "He has really improved and I am happy with the way he is going. Just got to keep him healthy and the sky is the limit with him. It is just a matter of when and not if. He will be one of the best. It is just about getting that experience."

Gonzalez and receiver Roddy White give Ryan two outstanding targets, but Atlanta almost certainly needs Michael Turner to stay healthy to return to the playoffs. The NFL's second-leading rusher in 2008 (1,699) had that total nearly cut in half last season, when he missed five games with an ankle injury.

Plenty of opponents found facing the Steelers' injury-plagued defense to be less than intimidating down the stretch, when they surrendered averages of 23.3 points and 351.0 yards in their final six contests without safety Troy Polamalu and end Aaron Smith.

Both are ready to go in Sunday's opener, when Pittsburgh tries to win its eighth consecutive season opener.

"Troy's the best at what he does," Smith said. "He's just a playmaker. It will be nice to have him out there, running around and doing crazy stuff."

Atlanta will be hoping to improve on a defense that has finished 20th or worse for five consecutive seasons, and adding free agent cornerback Dunta Robinson should be a good start.

The return of defensive tackle Peria Jerry should help as well. The 2009 first-rounder missed all of his rookie season with a knee injury, but should be a solid run stuffer -- particularly against a Steelers team that may ride Rashard Mendenhall with Roethlisberger out.

Atlanta was 1-11 all-time against Pittsburgh before a 34-34 tie at Heinz Field in 2002 and a 41-38 home win in 2006. - ESPN

Ed Bouchette's and Gery Dulac's preview of the game

HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO!!!!

[Unsaintly]

Geaux Steelers. Hit the Failcons in the mouth.

[Killer]

I'm having a pot of greasy oily thick coffee for breakfast then a pitcher of margaritas.

It's all I can stomach for early games

[tony hipchest]

sounds good killer. im havin a brew and preppin shish kabobs for after the game. probably be buzzin good by then.

game one and its already a must win game.

lets get this party started and kick falcon ass!

[tony hipchest]

good to see saints fans make it out for the game. sb champions fans are welcome here (i guess dirty birds' too).

[Atlanta Dan]

Fox crew split on how Steelers perform until #7 returns

Bradshaw says 3-1; Jimmy Johnson says they "struggle" to 1-3

[Downbylaw]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Dan

Fox crew split on how Steelers perform until #7 returns

Bradshaw says 3-1; Jimmy Johnson says they "struggle" to 1-3

On NFL Network: Sapp:2-2, Faulk: 1-3, Irvin:1-3, Mariucci:1-3

[Atlanta Dan]

This blog entry by Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Mark Bradley today pretty much sums up the view of today's game from the Atlanta perspective

This is the kind of game a team of Super Bowl caliber — and that’s the what a lot of folks think the Falcons are — needs to win. You might not have heard, but the Steelers’ quarterback won’t be playing

http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-bl...k_bradley_blog

[Atlanta Dan]

Originally Posted by Downbylaw

On NFL Network: Sapp:2-2, Faulk: 1-3, Irvin:1-3, Mariucci:1-3

Sounds like more Falcon love for today's game

[Downbylaw]

Pressure either busts pipes or makes diamonds. Ryan will find that out today.