Stillers 20, Falcons 13...... Sep 13, 2026 …………Game # 1
Stillers - Falcons Postgame Analysis and Grades
The Stillers opened the season by hosting the lowly ATL Falcons. In a sloppy, shoddy game that set pro football back 40 years, the Stillers eked out a thin 20-13 win over the Falcs.
Grades:
QB: Rodgers got the start. He was erratic and spotty right from the get-go, overthrowing DK on a fade route that was a good 5 yards overthrown. Had a meager 5.5 YPA, throwing 21 of 40 for 221 yards and 1 TD. This looked identical to the drab, crappy offense of last season. And in the 4Q, Rodg clumsily took a sack that took the team out of FG position in a tight game. Sure, there were dropped passes, and sure, plenty of rust had to be scraped off due to such little activity in the preseason. Still, it was drab and uninspiring. C-
RB:
Warren – did little until the game final drive, when he chewed up yardage and clock to secure the W. Had 5 grabs. Had a costly fumble in the 1H. B-
Dowdle – did little, with 8 rushes for 15 yards. Had 2 grabs for 6. B-
FB: rarely used.
WR:
Metcalf – Had a dismal day, with 2 OPI flags and 2 drops, plus a deep ball that CLANGED off his face mask. Sure, he was getting interfered with on the play, but he still showed a poor adjustment as the pigskin arrived. 4 grabs for 40 yards for a WR1 don’t cut it. C-
Pittman – Showed a few flashes of why it’s critical to have a legit, proven, NFL-caliber WR2, rather than an imposter as the team tried to do the past THREE seasons. Had 3 grabs for 58. THIS is what an NFL WR2 looks like. I was quite pleased. A
Wilson – Actually contributed for once. Drew a DPI flag on a deep ball, and also snared a 20-yard grab on a deep dig route. True to his nature, he also dropped a tough, but catchable, ball in the EZ that woulda been a key TD. B-
Bernard – rarely, if ever, played. All the talk leading up to the game about this pudd puller, and then he did jak dik. INC
Skowronek – no PT at WR.
TE:
Pat FryBoy – Had the lone TD grab, and finished with 5 for 46. Not bad. B
Darnell – had 2 grabs for 18, and shoved 1 tackler into the dirt like a toddler. B
OL: Overall, the line (Fautanu, McCormick, Frazier, Spence Anderson, Cook ) had a mediocre game. The ground game had no daylight until late in the 4Q. Rodgers had some harassment and was sacked twice. Fautanu got nicked up, so rookie Icheanachor came in a RT and Cook moved to LT. Anderson got whipped badly for a sack in the 1H. This crew needs to ramp up its play considerably. C
DL:
Heyward – You’ll hear all sort of fawning over The Scammer after today’s game. Facing a bush-league THIRD string QB in Pooper Rush, Scam batted 3 passes. Good Lord, you’d have sworn he hit 5 HRs in a MLB game. He did very, very little else. At 7:00 1Q, Bijan received a short dumpoff in the middle of the field. Scam, who was doing jak fuq nothing on the play, was standing nearby in perfect position to make the tackle. Instead, The Fat Waddler got jock-juked, and Bijan turned a 1-yard gain into a 7-yard gainer.
On a 3d & 1 early in the 4Q, ATL tried some asinine lil’ pitchout play to Bijan. The play was strung out, and Bijan simply ran into Scam as he (Bijan) tried to eke for the 1st down. Yeah, Big Scam stopped Bigjan, a guy Scam outweighs by 80 pounds. Gee, how impressive ! Scam finished with a meager 2 solos and 1 A, and yeah, he had 3 batts. Why 3 batts? He was doing jak fuq with his vaunted pass rush, that’s why. AND, Scam was facing a decrepit THIRD string QB who had back spasms last night. I won’t fawn about “accomplishments” versus jayvee competition. B-
Benton – Did little, although he had a nice swim move that forced a holding flag.
Harmon – Did very, very little. Where’s Ziggy Hood, his twin brother ?? C
YaYa Black – played some.
Joseph-Day – Had 1 solo and then whooped it up .like he’d just won the Stanley Cup.
LB:
Queen – Had a mere 2 solos in a lukewarm effort. Rarely around the football the way an NFL ILB ought to be. C
Pey Wilson – had some solid, impressive plays. Showed some get-after, which is what I want to see from an ILB. Had 5 solos, 8 As. B
Watt – Had a couple of sacks, and of course the huge INT/pick 6 that proved to be the winning points. THIS is the kind of impact he’s paid to provide. A
Highsmith – Did literally nothing in the run-stopping department, continually either dawdling, backpedaling, or accepting blocks. Had 2 solos, both of which came on sacks. The 2nd was a Dong Sack in which Pooper Rush held the ball forever AND also failed to scoot laterally in the pocket. Most everyone will rave and fawn over Big Alex after this game. Me, I won’t fawn over mediocrity attained against jayvee competition. B-
Herbig – saw only limited PT.
Sawyer – saw some PT.
DB
Joey Porter Jr. - did not dress, due to contract hold-out or whatever ya want to call it.
Samuel Jr. – played ok, albeit against a jayvee QB.
Brisker – Had a Dong INT via a hideous pass that sailed like 9 feet over the intended receiver’s head.
DeShon Elliot – on IR
Jalen Ramsey – was slow and clumsy on the Bijan TD. Very sorry. Otherwise played ok, albeit against a jayvee QB.
Jamel Dean –played ok, albeit against a jayvee QB.
Spec teams:
Johnston – booted adequately. Quite well. B+
Boswell – booted 2 of 3 FGs. Disappointing miss in the 2d half. B
Wetjen – returned a few punts.
Heiden also returned 2 KOS.
There was a miscommo on a FG try in the 2H, which forced Johnston to scramble and try a pass. Not his fault; seemed to be a miscommo with the snapper.
OC: Angelichio apparently found the playbook of King Arthur Smith, and aside from deleting 1-yard passes to a stationary TE, Angel felt compelled to run Artie’s offense in its bland entirety. The offense sputtered and wheezed all game long. The lone Off TD came via a teeny-short field due to an INT. Other than that, it was all FGs, all game long. 3 of 15 on 3rd down ….woof. Complete vomit. D-
DC: Graham – Hard to evaluate a defense that had the luxury of facing a decrepit 3rd string QB who was suffering back spasms the nite before the game. Facing jayvee competition doesn’t prove much of anything. Let’s see what this vaunted D does against Burrows, Chase, Higgins, and company. Inc
HC: McCarthy had a rugged 1st game with the Stillers, with a raggedy, sloppy effort on both sides of the ball. Attention to detail seemed to be lacking all over the field. Facing a jayvee offense, at home, this should have been a big-time whupping, not a rock-fight. C
Synopsis: A lackluster win at home against a jayvee foe. Not a win to crow or chest-pound over. We’ll take it and move on to New England, where a more competent foe awaits.
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