Both the Steelers and the Falcons have new coaching staffs heading into Week 1. It's safe to say both franchises will be looking to start their new era off on the right foot with a victory. I spoke with Kevin Knight of The Falcoholic to learn a bit about what's new with the Atlanta Falcons.
Kevin Knight: Well, now even Tua Tagovailoa is out of the lineup thanks to an oblique injury suffered during individual drills on Thursday. That means Cooper Rush at the helm (who, in truth, may not be any worse than Tua based on the aforementioned preseason). What you're going to see is a lot of quick game, and as much Bijan Robinson as the team can muster. If Atlanta can run the ball well and get Bijan going, they can score points. So that'll be the plan, with the passing game largely taking a complementary role until Michael Penix Jr. returns.
Kevin Knight: This is a good defense that will have to find ways to manufacture pass rush. Thankfully, Jeff Ulbrich is an evil genius with his blitz packages, and he's got a lot of interesting looks planned. Expect to see a lot of linebacker and slot blitzes to supplement their weaker edge rusher room, along with a lot of emphasis on interior pass rush. Atlanta has a really nice interior duo with Brandon Dorlus (who was leading all interior defensive linemen in the NFC with 8.5 sacks last season before injury) and trade acquisition Gervon Dexter Sr. They're hoping the interior can offset some of their weaknesses outside.
Kevin Knight: I like Kevin Stefanski and think it pretty much takes a miracle worker to extract any amount of success from the Cleveland Browns organization. It does seem like there's a coherent, forward-thinking plan in place for this Falcons team for the first time in years. I don't necessarily expect a lot of success in 2026 based on the moves made to this point and the way the team is structured, but I do expect Atlanta to be one of the most aggressive teams in free agency and the draft in 2027.
Kevin Knight: As I mentioned before, Brandon Dorlus is a borderline-elite interior pass rusher who may also get some run on the edge. Linebacker Divine Deablo was the biggest surprise in last year's free agent class and completely transformed the defense when he was on the field. Second-year safety Xavier Watts was a DROY candidate in 2025 and forms a dynamic duo with veteran Jessie Bates III. Atlanta will be starting two rookies on defense: Avieon Terrell (brother of A.J. Terrell) in the slot, and Kendal Daniels at linebacker. Both impressed in training camp, with Daniels being a particularly pleasant surprise given his Day 3 selection.
#expect
Kevin Knight: Well, now even Tua Tagovailoa is out of the lineup thanks to an oblique injury suffered during individual drills on Thursday. That means Cooper Rush at the helm (who, in truth, may not be any worse than Tua based on the aforementioned preseason). What you're going to see is a lot of quick game, and as much Bijan Robinson as the team can muster. If Atlanta can run the ball well and get Bijan going, they can score points. So that'll be the plan, with the passing game largely taking a complementary role until Michael Penix Jr. returns.
Kevin Knight: This is a good defense that will have to find ways to manufacture pass rush. Thankfully, Jeff Ulbrich is an evil genius with his blitz packages, and he's got a lot of interesting looks planned. Expect to see a lot of linebacker and slot blitzes to supplement their weaker edge rusher room, along with a lot of emphasis on interior pass rush. Atlanta has a really nice interior duo with Brandon Dorlus (who was leading all interior defensive linemen in the NFC with 8.5 sacks last season before injury) and trade acquisition Gervon Dexter Sr. They're hoping the interior can offset some of their weaknesses outside.
Kevin Knight: I like Kevin Stefanski and think it pretty much takes a miracle worker to extract any amount of success from the Cleveland Browns organization. It does seem like there's a coherent, forward-thinking plan in place for this Falcons team for the first time in years. I don't necessarily expect a lot of success in 2026 based on the moves made to this point and the way the team is structured, but I do expect Atlanta to be one of the most aggressive teams in free agency and the draft in 2027.
Kevin Knight: As I mentioned before, Brandon Dorlus is a borderline-elite interior pass rusher who may also get some run on the edge. Linebacker Divine Deablo was the biggest surprise in last year's free agent class and completely transformed the defense when he was on the field. Second-year safety Xavier Watts was a DROY candidate in 2025 and forms a dynamic duo with veteran Jessie Bates III. Atlanta will be starting two rookies on defense: Avieon Terrell (brother of A.J. Terrell) in the slot, and Kendal Daniels at linebacker. Both impressed in training camp, with Daniels being a particularly pleasant surprise given his Day 3 selection.
#expect
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