ATLANTA — No Super Bowl-winning veteran quarterback under center. No legitimate No. 2 wide receiver on the field. No problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense.
The game plan was simple in the season opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with Justin Fields subbing for an injured Russell Wilson against the Atlanta Falcons.
Do just enough to get Chris Boswell in field-goal range.
Boswell kicked six field goals dd three exceeding 50 yards dd and chipped in as an emergency punter to help the Steelers open the season with an 18-10 victory.
Boswell accounted for all the Steelers points. Only one kick was shorter than 40 yards, and he became the first kicker in franchise history to make three of 50 yards or longer, converting from 57, 56 and 51 yards. He also hit a 43-yard punt in the third quarter following an injury to Cameron Johnston that coach Mike Tomlin called “serious.”
“He’s as cool as can be,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said. “I think he’s the best kicker in the NFL, and he showed that today.”
Boswell rescued the Steelers on a day when the offense had difficulty establishing a rhythm behind Fields, who learned about two hours before the game he would be filling in for Wilson and his injured calf.
Fields didn’t produce a touchdown for Arthur Smith in his debut as Steelers offensive coordinator, but he passed for 156 yards, rushed for 57 more and, most importantly, didn’t turn the ball over despite a few shaky exchanges with rookie center Zach Frazier. Najee Harris added 70 yards rushing on 20 attempts.
“Having a weapon like him on the offensive side of the ball, we only have to get to the 40 and he makes our job easier,” Fields said about Boswell, “but we’d rather end the drive with extra points than field goals. We’re going to work on scoring more touchdowns.”
Fields formed a connection with top receiver George Pickens, who caught six passes for 85 yards. No other wideout had more than one reception for the Steelers.
The duo hooked up for a 33-yard completion late in the first half to set up Boswell’s third field goal. A 40-yard completion to Pickens in the second half led to Boswell’s fifth 3-pointer and 15-10 lead.
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The Falcons, meantime, didn’t have a play longer than 20 yards, including a long gain of 13 yards in the second half when the Steelers defense shut them out.
The defense forced three turnovers and held the Falcons, who entered intermission with a 10-9 lead, to 51 yards and three first downs in the second half. The Steelers converted those three turnovers into three Boswell field goals.
The Falcons looked to build on their halftime lead on their first possession of the third quarter. A fourth-down run by Bijan Robinson gained 10 yards to the Steelers 32. But on the next play, the shotgun snap hit the tight end in motion, and T.J. Watt pounced on the loose ball at the 38.
The Steelers couldn’t get more than two first downs for the sixth successive drive, and Boswell was called upon to boot a 56-yard field goal for a 12-10 lead.
“He loves it,” Tomlin said about the long-distance attempts. “I’ve been around this guy a long time. He wants the long ball. He’s built for it. It’s really displayed in my confidence in him.”
The longest drive of the game for the Steelers lasted 13 plays and 72 yards, yet didn’t result in any points. Fields led the Steelers to the Atlanta 6 in the fourth quarter, but he was stopped for no gain on a sneak giving the ball back to the Falcons with 7 minutes, 3 seconds to play.
“We’re going to live that life,” Tomlin said of his decision to go for it. “If you can’t get fourth-and-1, sometimes you don’t deserve to win.”
The defense didn’t flinch, forcing another three-and-out.
When the next Steelers’ drive stalled, Johnston was injured when a player rolled on his leg after the punt. A holding penalty necessitated a re-kick, and Boswell had to do double duty.
Boswell responded with a 43-yard punt.
“For my standards, it’s good,” Boswell said. “For a punter, probably not.”
The Falcons took over at their 40, trailing by five points.
Two plays later, Kirk Cousins was pressured into throwing his second interception. Donte Jackson returned it 49 yards to the Falcons 18 with 2:43 left.
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With receiver Scotty Miller serving as the holder, Boswell kicked a 25-yard field goal with 0:28 remaining.
It was reminiscent of the 2016 divisional playoff victory at Kansas City when Boswell accounted for all the Steelers points.
“I have the same mindset I’ve always had,” Boswell said. “Next kick, good, bad, indifferent. I have to move on to the next one.”
Befitting a day when the defense dominated in the second half, a sack by Watt ended the game. Watt thought he’d been rewarded on a strip sack earlier in the game only to have that turnover negated when he was ruled offside.
Although Cousins was sacked just twice, he was hit seven times and pressured into throwing two interceptions. Newcomers Jackson and safety DeShon Elliott had the honors.
“We’ve got a lot of speed on this defense,” Watt said. “A lot of playmakers, a lot of offseason acquisitions, a lot of guys growing from Year 1 to Year 2. It’s a fun defense to be part of right now.”
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.