Week 1 has plenty of great games, as it always does. There’s one game that doesn’t immediately highlight the intrigue it carries.
For his first game as not the head coach of the Falcons, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will face the Falcons, in Atlanta.
Smith was 21-30 in three seasons with the Falcons. He was fired after the regular season ended, and he was hired by the Steelers to run the offense.
The other twist in this one is that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Bucs coach Raheem Morris worked together in Tampa. For two years (2004 and 2005), Tomlin was the defensive backs coach, and Morris was the assistant defensive backs coach.
It’s a tough draw for Morris in his return to the head coaching for the first time since the 2011 season.
The Steelers lead the all-time series, 15-2-1. During Mike Vick’s time in Atlanta, they had a couple of barnburners; a 34-34 tie in 2002 and a 41-38 overtime win by the Falcons in 2006.