I like the Steelers, too, Fezz.
Here are my thoughts:
The Falcons are a serious NFC playoff contender and they come a road favorite at Heinz Field because Ben Roethlisberger is out for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have to hang in until Roethlisberger comes back after four games. A loss to the Falcons and Pittsburgh probably is looking at a 1-3 mark. So this opener is more pivotal for Pittsburgh than an opener usually would be.
This isn't so much a play against the Falcons - although they are small, used to playing on carpet and not as physical as the Steelers - but more a play on Pittsburgh's defense.
The Steelers ranked fifth in total defense last year. They were second in sacks and were No. 3 in run defense. They accomplished this without Aaron Smith, their best defensive lineman, and star safety Troy Polamalu out for much of the year.
Those two are back. The Steelers' defense is dominant with a healthy lineup and playing at home. I don't see Atlanta putting up many points. The key is how many points can Pittsburgh put up with Dennis Dixon at quarterback?
The answer is enough to win. Dixon actually is quicker in the pocket than Big Ben. The Steelers' offensive line is much better at run blocking than pass protection. Pittsburgh will be able to run on Atlanta's smallish defensive front seven. Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall is an emerging star.
An effective ground game allows Dixon to be successful on play-action passes. The Falcons ranked 28th in pass defense last year. Dixon is better than he was last year. He's gotten game experience and took most of the reps during training camp.
The Steelers coaching staff is so comfortable with Dixon that they haven't scaled down the offense. He'll be fine. Look for Pittsburgh to win its eighth straight season-opener.
