The highs and lows of the Steelers preseason Week 2 game vs. the Atlanta Falcons.
4:00 p.m. ET - Kickoff
4:10 p.m. ET - What went wrong: The Steelers received the opening kickoff, and the offense went three-and-out, with Joshua Dobbs taking a hit from DT Grady Jarrett on an incomplete pass on third down. Jordan Berry then got the Steelers out of a hole with a 55-yard punt that ended up on the Falcons 9-yard line following a holding penalty.
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4:19 p.m. ET - What went wrong:** Being pinned deep early didn't exactly hamper the Falcons offense, which marched 91 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown that staked them to a 7-0 lead with 8:44 left in the first quarter. On the drive, Matt Ryan completed 4-of-6 for 56 yards, and Terron Ward burst through the middle for a 5-yard touchdown. Atlanta only faced on third-down situation on the possession.
4:25 p.m. ET - What went wrong: Two offensive possession for the Steelers, and it was two three-and-outs, so it was a good thing Jordan Berry was having a good afternoon. Following a 55-yard punt on his first attempt, Berry followed that up with a 54-yarder that yielded a 49-yard net when Jordan Dangerfield got Falcons returner Nick Williams on the ground quickly.
4:34 p.m. ET - End of 1st Quarter: Falcons 7, Steelers 0
4:40 p.m. ET - What went wrong: Where the Steelers offense went three-and-out on its first two possessions, the Falcons marched the ball down the field for twice and came away with 10 points. The second drive ended with a 23-yard field goal by Matt Bryant, and it covered 76 yards on 14 plays. The Falcons converted a third-and-10, and then a third-and-8 on the drive that started with Matt Schaub at quarterback and ended with Matt Simms at quarterback. On its first two possessions, Atlanta had the ball for 11:29, while the Steelers had it for 3:46 on its first two possessions.
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4:49 p.m. ET - What went right:** The Steelers sliced into the Atlanta lead with a 42-yard field goal by Chris Boswell that capped an eight-play, 54-yard drive. The big plays for the Steelers were a 24-yard pass interference penalty committed against Darrius Heyward-Bey and a 23-yard completion from Joshua Dobbs to Martavis Bryant. James Conner added 11 yards on four carries. The Steelers trailed, 10-3, with just a bit more than 10 minutes remaining in the first half.
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4:58 p.m. ET - What went wrong:** The Falcons offense made it a perfect 3-for-3 with another field goal – this one from 26 yards by Matt Bryant that capped a 13-play, 77-yard drive. The Falcons converted 2-for-3 third downs this time around, and they were able to overcome a 13-yard sack by Anthony Chickillo that created a second-and-23 from the Steelers 43-yard line. With 3:33 left in the first half, Atlanta's lead was 13-3.
5:12 p.m. ET - What went wrong: It was the first play after the two-minute warning, and the Steelers faced a third-and-4 from their own 47-yard line looking to cut into a 13-3 deficit. Joshua Dobbs escaped pressure to the right and flipped the ball to James Conner, who looked to have a lot of room to run down the sideline. But Conner dropped the ball, and Jordan Berry's punt allowed the Falcons to start at their own 20-yard line.
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5:26 p.m. ET - What went right:** It didn't lead to any points for the Steelers because the play began with only seven seconds left in the first half, but on a fourth-and-4 from the Falcons 34-yard line, Rosie Nix broke through and blocked a punt by Matt Bosher. The first half ended with the Falcons holding a 13-3 lead.
5:27 p.m. ET - Halftime: Falcons 13, Steelers 3
5:30 p.m. ET - What went wrong: Bad offense in the first half: the Steelers possessed the ball for 10:19, and their leading rusher (James Conner) had 13 yards, and their leading receiver (Martavis Bryant) had 20 yards. Also, the Steelers were 1-for-6 on third downs.
5:50 p.m. ET - What went right: Jordan Berry's fifth punt of the game came with 8:21 left in the third quarter, and it went for 43 yards. Cornerback Greg Ducre tipped the ball backward before it could go into the end zone and long-snapper Colin Holba downed the ball at the Atlanta 4-yard line.
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6:13 p.m. ET - What went right:** The Steelers have been looking for someone besides Antonio Brown to return punts, and Trey Williams threw his name into the discussion late in the third quarter. Matt Bosher got off a 48-yard punt from the Falcons 16-yard line, and Williams fielded the ball at the Pittsburgh 36-yard line, burst up the middle, and then even though he cut the wrong way off a block by Jacob Hagen on Bosher, he ran through a tackle by Anthony Dable at the goal line to get into the end zone. The return covered 64 yards for the touchdown and cut Atlanta's lead to 13-10.
6:21 p.m. ET - What went wrong: It was a rookie mistake. On a third-and-1 from the Pittsburgh 29-yard line, Joshua Dobbs was flushed to his left and was tripped up by linebacker Jack Lynn. As he was going to the ground, Dobbs attempted a backhand flip into the flat intended for tight end Jake McGee, but the flip was off target and was intercepted by safety Quincy Mauger at the Steelers 32-yard line.
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6:24 p.m. ET - End of 3rd Quarter:** Falcons 13, Steelers 10
6:28 p.m. ET - What went right: On the play after Quincy Mauger intercepted Joshua Dobbs at the Steelers 32-yard line, Matt Simms tried to get the ball deep down the middle to Marvin Hall, but the throw was off-target and intercepted by Jordan Dangerfield, whose 18-yard return gave the ball back to the Steelers at their own 31-yard line.
6:37 p.m. ET - What went right: It actually was a good play by a couple of Steelers, but the outcome wasn't what it could have been. On a third-and-12 from the Atlanta 12-yard line, the Steelers sent cornerback Mike Hilton on the same blitz that produced a sack against the Giants. As Hilton was dragging Matt Simms down in the end zone, Simms flipped the ball toward the left flat, but the ball was tipped by defensive end Johnny Maxey before it crossed the line of scrimmage. So instead of a safety that would've cut the Atlanta lead to 13-12, the play was ruled an incomplete pass. The Falcons punted.
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6:50 p.m. ET - What went right:** Midway through the fourth quarter, after the Steelers took possession after an Atlanta punt that was forced by Mike Hilton's pressure of Matt Simms on a third-down pass attempt, and they took the lead, 17-13, with a seven-play, 53-yard drive that was capped by a 6-yard pass from Bart Houston to Justin Hunter. James Conner carried three times for 38 yards on the drive, and Houston completed 3-of-4 for 20 yards including the touchdown. There was 6:35 left in the game.
7:00 p.m. ET - What went right: On a third-and-2 from the Atlanta 18-yard line with 2:19 to play, Falcons quarterback Alek Torgersen threw the ball into the right flat, but the ball bounced off the hand of a receiver and Jordan Dangerfield came down with the interception. The Steelers took over at the Atlanta 17-yard line.
7:13 p.m. ET - Final Score: Steelers 17, Falcons 13
