The Pittsburgh Steelers are going through their struggles during their preseason matchups ahead of the regular season. The entire team is working on ironing out the kinks and cleaning up certain schemes, while many players are trying to claw their ways onto the final roster. Pittsburgh needs to be sure that they are in their shape as they get closer to their season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin on the sideline during a game.
The Steelers will have their hands full when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. Atlanta has recently added two of the leagues top defenders in Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons, who will each look to wreak havoc on Pittsburgh's offense. Defensively, Pittsburgh will look to contain star running back Bijan Robinson. Robinson spoke with Kay Adams during an appearance on the Up & Adams Show With Kay Adams, where he was asked which game he is looking forward to the most during the 2024 season.
"The Steelers, yeah."
There could be a litany of reasons as to why Robinson chose the matchup with Pittsburgh. It could just be because he isn't thinking about anything besides the first game of the regular season, or it could be because he wants to invoke some revenge on his former Head Coach Arthur Smith, who is now the offensive coordinator for the Steelers.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired Arthur Smith as their next offensive coordinator.
Smith also served as the primary play-caller for Atlanta, and was often criticized for not using his star players in the right manner. Under Smith, Robinson ran for 976 yards during his rookie season in 2023. He also hauled in 58 passes for 487 yards while scoring eight total touchdowns. He was certainly a beneficiary of Smith's offense, and spoke about looking forward to seeing Smith after their Week 1 matchup.
"That's going to be awesome. Then I'm going to go to Art like, 'I love you man,' and give him a big hug and then just keep walking. Cause Art, I mean, he's still my dog, I still had him all last year. Like, that's my dude. I wish him success over there, but after that game."
Players usually have good relationships with their former coaches, and that seems to be the case with Robinson and Smith. Robinson is looking to take a leap in production in his second season as he attempts to live up to his pre-draft label of being a generational running back. It will all start against Pittsburgh for the young star, which is not an simple defense to go up against.
It won't be easy for Robinson to find running room while going against the Steelers front seven. Additions like Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson should improve Pittsburgh's run defense, as should a fully healthy Cameron Heyward. The rest of the Steelers' defensive line has also had impressive performances during training camp, including Keeanu Benton, Montravius Adams and DeMarvin Leal.
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Steelers' Scotty Miller catches a pass during a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills in 2024.
Steelers Could Bring A Ton Of Former Falcons To Atlanta For Week 1
Pittsburgh's trip to Atlanta to kick off the regular season could also be a homecoming for some players. Scotty Miller, Van Jefferson, Cordarrelle Patterson and MyCole Pruitt all played for Smith in Atlanta during the 2023 season. Pittsburgh signed them all since they are all familiar with Smith's offense, and they'll all be taking a trip to their former home for Week 1.
There are a few other reasons that make the opening game of the 2024 season special for Head Coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. He will be taking on his mentee, Raheem Morris, during his first game back in the role of head coach.
The Falcons look a lot different than they did during the 2023 season, and they could be a dangerous team in the NFC if all goes well for them. Pittsburgh will have a serious challenge taking them down to start the season on the right foot.
What do you think of Robinson's comments? Let us know in the comments below!
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