Falcons position grades from season-opening loss to Steelers

PITTSBURGH — The Falcons suffered a 20-13 loss to the Steelers in the season opener Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.

Here’s a position-by-position look at how the Falcons fared.

Quarterback: C-

Is it fair to grade on a curve? Cooper Rush had a difficult task, vaulting atop the Falcons’ quarterback depth chart after starter Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during Thursday’s practice.

After two practice days and a walk-through, plus Rush’s own back spasms that popped up Saturday, he entered Sunday without much in his favor. Still, his final stat line of 12-for-22 passing for 143 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions wasn’t pretty, and the Falcons struggled moving the ball through the air.

Running back: A-

Bijan Robinson was the Falcons’ most productive offensive player, and the margin wasn’t particularly close. He rushed 21 times for 83 yards and caught eight passes for 90 yards while notching a 23-yard receiving touchdown. He fumbled twice but recovered both. Brian Robinson Jr. took nine carries for 31 yards.

The Falcons’ run game faced an uphill climb with a weakened passing attack allowing the Steelers to load the box. Given that, the Robinson duo fared well.

Wide receiver: C+

Another position hurt by the circumstances of quarterback play. Drake London caught two passes for 29 yards, while Olamide Zaccheaus added one catch for five yards. Chris Blair made a nice block on Robinson’s touchdown. Much of the Falcons’ passing game was quick by design, which limited the receivers’ ability to flash and create space.

Tight end: C

The Falcons ran plenty of 13 personnel — one running back, three tight ends — packages, but pass-game production didn’t follow. None of the team’s tight ends caught a pass Sunday. The group performed fine in the run-blocking game, but after a summer spent seeing extensive action through the air, Sunday’s performance was a bit of a surprise.

But, again, consider the circumstances.

Offensive line: C+

The Steelers sacked Rush four times, but protection wasn’t the offensive line’s biggest issue, and neither was run-blocking. Aside from center Ryan Neuzil, every member of the Falcons’ offensive line committed a penalty, and left guard Matthew Bergeron was flagged twice.

Given the heavier boxes, the Falcons’ line performed well from a blocking perspective. The penalties, however, ended drives too often.

Defensive line: B

The Falcons rotated a wealth of bodies along their defensive front and, all told, fared quite well. They limited the Steelers to 58 rushing yards, and they logged two sacks and six quarterback hits. A good day overall for the group.

Linebacker: B-

Rookies Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. made a few nice plays in space, while veteran green dot Divine Deablo posted seven tackles, tied for the most on the team. They played a central part in the team’s run defense, and while Steelers receivers occasionally slipped behind the Falcons’ linebackers in coverage, the group didn’t commit any glaring mistakes.

Cornerback: C+

A.J. Terrell committed a pair of penalties, suffered a shoulder injury and ultimately returned to the game — a particularly important outcome for the Falcons moving forward. Steelers receiver DK Metcalf made his plays, but Metcalf and the Steelers’ receivers had a few drops, too.