CHRISTOPHER PANSINO – OVATHLETICS.COM
Sunday’s game was the battle of the field goal kickers and stout defenses. The Steelers and Falcons traded field goals throughout the game ultimately finishing regulation with a 9-9 tie. The defensive struggle ultimately finished in a 15-9 overtime victory for the Steelers after a Rashard Mendenhall 55-yard touchdown rush.
Dennis Dixon in only his second start in the NFL managed the Steelers offense in today’s overtime win. Dixon got the start in place of suspended Ben Roethlisberger and injured Byron Leftwich. Dixon had a shaky start despite going 18/26 for 236 yards and an interception.
Though he looked like he was capable of managing the offense in his first drive his performance slumped towards the middle of the first half as the Falcons brought more blitzes. But Dixon improved as the game progressed as he helped get the offense back on tract.
Dixons lone interception came near the end of the first half and squashed a good drive with under a minute remaining. Mike Peterson easily intercepted the short pass intended for Heath Miller, taking at least three points off the board and giving the Falcons a tie game on a field goal try.
Jeff Reed was key in how the game unfolded today, as the offense was kept out of the red zone almost the entire game. Reed went 3/5 with his longest kick going 52 yards. Reed hit three from 52, 36, and 34, but missed two key kicks.
The first miss from 55 yards would have been his career long, but Reed bounced it off the goal post, no good. His second miss came with 39 seconds left in the fourth quarter, wide right on a 40-yard attempt.
The miss came after a key interception by Troy Polamalu on the Steelers 30 yard line. But Reed came up short and the defense held Atlanta to force overtime.
Meanwhile it was obvious from the very start of the game that Rashard Mendenhall was going to break a big run at some point. From his first run of six yards Mendenhall was just one block, one push, one second away from changing the game on every handoff. And ultimately he did.
His 50-yard run in overtime sealed the win for the Steelers after just 2:35 into overtime.
Mendenhall carried the ball 22 times for 120 yards in today game and but was often held back by the unsettled offensive line.
The Steelers won their eighth consecutive opener, currently the longest in the NFL. Mike Tomlin is now 4-0 in openers and improved to 2-12-1 all time against the Falcons.
