Well, that was quite an exciting ride to start the season.

As the Pittsburgh Steelers usually do, they pulled out an ugly road win, 18-10, against the Atlanta Falcons, and are now 1-0 on the season. The offense started slow but made enough plays to get into scoring opportunities. Kicker Chris Boswell was a stunner that day, scoring all of the Steelers’ points, and the star-studded defense forced three turnovers and held the Falcons to just 54 yards in the second half.

Now the Steelers move on and prepare for a trip to Denver in Week 2. After Cameron Johnston’s serious injury, there is some uncertainty about the punter position.

But with the score at 1-0, things are looking good for the Steelers.

Let’s get to some notes on Sunday’s win against the Falcons.

QB – C

Justin Fields started for the injured Russell Wilson and was neither good nor bad. He was perfectly fine.

Fields was incredibly shaky early in the game, dropping a snap on the first play of the game and then missing several early throws, including layups by wide receiver Van Jefferson and running back Najee Harris.

He then settled down and made some nice aerial plays, including one to wide receiver George Pickens late in the first half. He then hit Pickens deep early in the second half. He also made some nice plays with his legs, rushing for 57 yards on 14 carries and adding another dangerous element to the Steelers’ offense.

In the air, Fields completed 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards. After that rough start, it was good to see Fields settle down. He took a sack he shouldn’t have, but overall it was a good performance for a player who had to get ready to start quickly at the end of the week.

RB — B-

Najee Harris entered the season with the goal of proving something and playing for a new contract, and he got off to a strong start.

Harris ran hard and confidently that day, gaining 70 yards on 20 attempts behind an offensive line featuring two players making their first NFL appearances and a quarterback who isn’t much of a threat in the air.

The fourth-year running back had a nice 20-yard run in the win and was a stunner downhill throughout. He looked to be a very solid addition to Arthur Smith’s offense in the first game of the year.

Jaylen Warren was clearly somewhat limited in his return from a hamstring injury, only carrying the ball four times for a total of 20 yards on the day, so experienced Cordarrelle Patterson got some work to replace Harris.

Patterson managed four runs for 13 yards and assisted on several field goals in the win.

WR – C+

George Pickens had a very solid day, finishing with six pass catches for 85 yards, including a big 40-yard pass. After a quiet start where he didn’t get much work, Pickens caught fire and made a handful of plays. He had a great play on the sailing route late in the first half that helped set up a field goal by Boswell. Then he had the 40-yard catch from Fields in the second half.

He should have had a third explosive play, but his 36-yard catch in the first half was negated by an incorrect penalty for offensive pass interference.

Aside from Pickens, there were virtually no wide receivers.

Calvin Austin III had a catch for seven yards and Van Jefferson had a catch for one yard. Austin was pushed to Jefferson on the block in the fourth quarter for a one-yard gain. Not exactly the guy you want on the perimeter blocking a block.

TE – C+

Pat Freiermuth caught four balls for 27 yards and I liked how he was used barefoot so Fields could easily complete passes. It’s nice to see him getting some work after being rewarded with a contract extension.

Darnell Washington was even used in the passing game and caught a pass for five yards. He was also a threat as a blocker, moving several players in the running game and even burying a player to enable Harris to make a nice run.

MyCole Pruitt had one catch for nine yards. Solid start for the TEs, but I hope they have more work to do in the future.

Orienteering – C+

The running game was efficient overall, which was a positive sign as two young players were making their first NFL starts. Left guard Spencer Anderson allowed one pressure that led to a quick throw by Justin Fields, and Zach Frazier’s first play against Fields resulted in a fumble on the snap.

But overall, this offensive line played relatively well.

The Steelers rushed for 147 yards and really fought through it. They also allowed only two sacks on the day, one of which came from Fields for holding onto the ball too long trying to make a play.

Broderick Jones was called for a stupid, equalizing personal foul for doing nothing more than protecting teammate James Daniels.

Overall, this was a solid performance after many concerns during preseason and training camp.

DL — A-

What a performance from the back line. Really.

Cameron Heyward looked pretty good with his new contract, finishing with four tackles. His strength as a run defender was on display throughout the game. He controlled the line of scrimmage, brought a lot of pressure as a pass rusher, and looked really good now that he’s healthy again. As if there was ever any doubt.

Larry Ogunjobi was also very good against the Falcons. He applied pressure when Donte Jackson intercepted a pass and pushed a lineman right into Kirk Cousins’ lap, preventing him from advancing. Ogunjobi was fantastic in the preseason and has carried that into the regular season. Very encouraging.

I also liked what I saw from Keeanu Benton and Montravius ​​Adams at times.

Adams had a big sack in the win and continues to excel when he gets playing time. Benton had two tackles and a quarterback hit and helped form a wall against the run along the defensive line, limiting the Steelers to just 89 yards rushing.

LB — A

Without two bad calls that negated two splash plays, TJ Watt would have had three sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Instead, he had one sack, one fumble recover, three quarterback hits and one tackle for loss, negating an early run play.

He capped the win with a sack of Cousins ​​on the final play of the game after failing to get a sack in the season opener.

In contrast to Watt, I thought Alex Highsmith was very solid. He did have an offside penalty, but he blocked a pass at the line of scrimmage and had five tackles, which helped him build the lead against the run.

Inside, Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts were relatively quiet. Queen recorded two tackles and Roberts was not included in the stat sheet. Rookie Payton Wilson had a touchdown-saving tackle on the first drive of the game, forcing Atlanta to make a field goal.

He had three tackles that day.

DB — B+

Incredible debut for DeShon Elliott.

Elliott intercepted a pass early, defended a pass later and was strong overall. What an underrated addition to the Steelers.

He gave Minkah Fitzpatrick the freedom to make plays, which he did, and led the Steelers with seven tackles. Fitzpatrick had a huge open-field tackle on Bijan Robinson and has looked really good now that he’s healthy again.

Cornerback Donte Jackson had a really solid game overall. He intercepted a pass that helped secure the win, and should have intercepted one earlier in the game but dropped it. But he was on the ball a lot and made plays in coverage, and that’s exactly what the Steelers needed from him.

Joey Porter Jr. overcame his injury and played well throughout the game, finishing with three tackles.

Rookie Beanie Bishop Jr. was on the ball a lot and made four tackles, but it seemed like he lost Kyle Pitts’ touchdown catch due to a small miscommunication in the secondary. That’s probably because he’s a young player in a new scheme that he’s still getting used to.

Special Teams — A-

If this grade were just for Chris Boswell, it would be an easy A+. He was incredible on Sunday, making three field goals from over 50 yards and accounting for all 18 of the Steelers’ points. When he’s playing right, there’s no better kicker in football.

Boswell also had to fill in for the injured Cameron Johnston. Boswell kicked a 43-yard punt after Johnston suffered a serious knee injury. What can’t he do?

Johnston’s injury was hard to spot. It looked ugly on replay and ended a strong day in which he averaged 51.5 yards on two punts. The problem was that the Steelers had a serious problem with the gunner. The Steelers allowed a 28-yard punt return in the win.

The coverage was a little better on kickoffs: Bishop recorded a tackle on the opening kick and DeMarvin Leal flew down on a return in the second half and scored a hard hit.

Calvin Austin III has done some damage in the punt return game, returning 47 yards on four punt returns. He’s been a little hesitant at times, though, which seems to be hindering him. He just needs to get it and go. His speed will destroy coverage units.