Five things we learned from Steelers 18, Falcons 10:

1. Running hard

Behind an offensive line that had two first-time NFL starters at center and left guard, Najee Harris led all rushers with 70 yards on 20 carries.

The way the Steelers ran the ball against the Falcons was one of the biggest positives to come from Arthur Smith’s debut as offensive coordinator.

The Steelers made no secret of wanting to emphasize the run this season. Smith was hired with that purpose in mind, and to provide extra blocking, it’s a reason the team keeps four tight ends on the 53-man roster.

With quarterback Justin Fields contributing 57 yards rushing on 14 attempts, the Steelers finished with 137 yards, a total watered down by George Pickens losing 10 on an ill-fated end around.

Harris averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, but he hit a 20-yard run in the fourth quarter when the Steelers began wearing down the Falcons’ defense on a 13-play drive.

Consider that the 70 yards Harris gained Sunday was his best performance in any of the 10 September games he has played in his four NFL seasons. His 20 carries also represented a September high.

Entering the game, Harris had topped 50 yards just twice in nine career September games, averaging 43.3 yards in those contests. It provides some optimism for a running game that had to wait until the second half of recent seasons before finding any rhythm and consistency with Harris as the lead back.

2. Taking control

The Steelers possessed the ball for 35 minutes, 36 seconds, giving them an 11-minute edge in time of possession.

Until the fourth quarter, this seemed to be incomprehensible considering the lack of rhythm on the Steelers’ offensive possessions. The first seven times the Steelers had the ball, they never gained more than two first downs on any series. They had two first downs on five occasions and one on another.

Conversely, they had just one of the dreaded three-and-outs that all-too-often handcuffed Matt Canada’s offenses.

On the opening drive of the fourth quarter, the Steelers finally had an extended drive when they went 72 yards in 13 plays. They gained four first downs and exhausted more than seven minutes off the clock only to turn the ball over on downs following a failed fourth-and-1 sneak.

3. For openers

In a refreshing departure from the Canada era, the Steelers actually got points on their opening drive when Chris Boswell kicked a 57-yard field goal.

It’s hard to forget that last season, before Canada was terminated after a November loss at Cleveland, the Steelers began the year by failing to get any points on their opening possession in seven consecutive games. It wasn’t until a Nov. 2 game against Tennessee that the Steelers got a touchdown after a 10-play drive.

The Steelers got another field goal from Boswell on their second drive. In just two of 17 games last season did they open the game by getting points on their first two possessions — against Green Bay and Cincinnati when they scored two touchdowns apiece.

4. Snap decisions

Smith went with the tight end he had the most familiarity coaching. MyCole Pruitt had the second-most snaps among the four tight ends used against the Falcons, playing 40 of a possible 68 snaps. Pat Freiermuth had the most at 50 snaps.

Darnell Washington played 37 and, surprisingly, Connor Heyward was on the field for just five offensive plays.

Among wide receivers, Van Jefferson’s 49 snaps led the way and were three more than Pickens played.

On defense, the rotation along the line was divided mostly between five players, with Cameron Heyward playing 35 of 56 snaps. Larry Ogunjobi played 34 and Keeanu Benton 27. The sixth member of the D-line rotation, DeMarvin Leal, played just five snaps.

5. Alone at the top

The most competitive division in the NFL didn’t do its best to defend its honor in the opening week with the Steelers representing the only team to win their first game.

In 2023, the AFC North became the first division of four teams to have winning records in the same season — Baltimore (13-4), Cleveland (11-6), Steelers (10-7) and Bengals (9-8). That had never previously happened in the Super Bowl era.

The biggest surprise was Cincinnati losing at home to a New England team wide regarded as one of the worst in the NFL. And not only are the Steelers carrying a 1-0 record, the six field-goal performance gave them the second-most points among division teams. For all the angst about the Steelers generating just 270 yards against Atlanta, consider that the Browns totaled 230 and the Bengals 224, the lowest two figures in the AFC heading into Monday night.

Accordingly, the Steelers have allowed the fewest points and yards among AFC North teams.

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