ATL Standard

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons' Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was marked by a series of self-inflicted errors, according to detailed notes taken during the game.

One critical moment came at the end of the third quarter with the Falcons trailing 15-10 after another Steelers field goal. The note read: "They can't get out of their own way."

In analyzing key plays from the second half, several moments stood out:

**Play 1:** After a solid start to a drive following a defensive stop, miscommunication led to a fumble recovered by TJ Watt. Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins took responsibility for the mishap, saying postgame, "it's something that you have to bat 1.000, and you can't have a mistake (like that)."

**Play 2:** A series of penalties and missed blocks resulted in Cousins being sacked and eventually forced into a punting situation. Key mistakes included Chris Lindstrom leaving an opening for Montravius Adams and Matthew Bergeron losing his matchup against Cam Heyward.

**Play 3:** An incorrect holding call on Kaleb McGary set up a difficult situation where Cousins had no time to execute due to relentless pressure from Watt.

**Play 4:** An illegal formation penalty negated a first down gain by Bijan Robinson. This type of penalty has been frequent early in the season, as noted by an NFL spokesperson emphasizing line-of-scrimmage violations.

**Play 5:** In what could have been a game-winning drive, pressure on Cousins caused an interception when Larry Ogunjobi pushed Drew Dalman into him as he threw. Postgame, Cousins acknowledged he should have avoided making such a critical error under duress.

These plays were pivotal in sealing Atlanta's fate in their loss to Pittsburgh. As Cousins summarized: "I'll go back and watch it and be critical... Whatever you have to do to avoid the critical error of the interception."

The game ended with Pittsburgh securing victory after these crucial errors compounded against Atlanta's efforts.