Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Atlanta Falcons: NFL experts make their Week 1 picks

The Atlanta Falcons begin their 2024 campaign against the Pittsburgh Steelers and with all the storylines surrounding it, there will be no shortage of aspects to focus on:

• Arthur Smith’s return to Atlanta
• The difference in resource allocation to the quarterback room (Steelers, with by far the least. Atlanta with by far the most)
• Raheem Morris (The Student) vs. Mike Tomlin (The Master)
• Justin Fields’ return to Atlanta

Schedulers started the Falcons off with a season-opening opener and with expectations heightened for Atlanta, it’s paramount that they get off to a quick start, especially with their brutal opening sequence.

So how many league pundits see the Falcons getting off to a good start? We take a brief look at a few of them below:

Steelers Week 1 Picks vs. Falcons

Jordan Dajani, CBS Sports: Falcons (17-13)

Saivion Mixson, Sports News: Falcons

Tyler Sullivan, CBS Sports: Falcons (23-21)

The Falcons made some of the biggest waves this offseason, including signing Kirk Cousins ​​in free agency. On paper, they should be much better than they have been in recent seasons, but the jury is still out on how Cousins ​​will perform on the court when he returns from his Achilles injury which ended the season. It makes me a little tired of scoring a complete field goal, especially against a strong defense like Pittsburgh’s that includes TJ Watt. There’s also a revenge narrative here for the Steelers offense, led by former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. Whether it’s Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, I can see the Steelers — who were 5-4 ATS on the road in 2023 — keeping that number within limits.