The Atlanta Falcons played their highly anticipated season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon and the game did not go as expected. The favored Falcons held a 10-9 halftime lead but were shut out by the Steelers defense in the second half of Sunday's 18-10 loss.

With Russell Wilson (calf) unable to play, Pittsburgh went with Justin Fields at quarterback. The Georgia native completed 17 out of 23 pass attempts for 156 yards and added another 57 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins did not look comfortable in his Mercedes-Benz Stadium debut.

Atlanta's defense was an overall bright spot but struggled to get off the field on third down. Here are five takeaways from the team's Week 1 loss to the Steelers:

1. Cousins shaky in Falcons debut

The Falcons had every chance to acquire Fields over the offseason but went with the more expensive option in Cousins. You can't blame the team for preferring Cousins' experience, however, the veteran QB simply didn't look like himself on Sunday. Since Cousins is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury and wasn't given any reps in the preseason, you expect a certain amount of rust. However, the 36-year-old made some poor decisions in the face of Pittsburgh's pass rush. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in his Falcons debut. There were moments when the offense clicked, but Cousins rarely looked comfortable in the pocket on Sunday.

2. Arthur Smith gets win without scoring a TD

Arthur Smith returned to Atlanta for the most Arthur Smith game ever played. The former Falcons head coach got the last laugh, though, with his team coming up victorious despite not scoring a touchdown. The Steelers were better on third down (8-for-17) and outrushed the Falcons by 48 total yards (137-to-89). Smith's offense dominated time of possession and won the turnover battle. Over his three seasons in Atlanta, Smith compiled a 21-30 record and missed the postseason each year. However, Smith clearly outperformed Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson in Week 1.

3. Bijan carries the load on offense

The Falcons leaned heavily on second-year running back Bijan Robinson on Sunday. Robinson didn't have his most efficient game on the ground but finished with 111 all-purpose yards to lead the team. Robinson was given the ball a lot early in the game and continues to find space where there doesn't appear to be any available. Atlanta's offense couldn't get things going in the passing game for a variety of reasons, and the running game suffered as a result. Robinson still flashed his dual-threat ability with five catches for 43 receiving yards in Week 1.

4. Offensive line struggles in pass protection

The Falcons allowed two sacks and a whole lot of pressure in an underwhelming performance by the offensive line. Atlanta had no answer for Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt, who seemed to disrupt every other play. Right tackle Kaleb McGary had some trouble staying in front of Watt and the entire unit struggled with pass protection. The team allowed seven total QB hits on QB Kirk Cousins. The running lanes were there in the first half but overall the team struggled to find an offensive identity in Week 1. The Steelers have some talented pieces on defense and will likely frustrate several offensive lines this season, but the Falcons need to clean things up.

5. Big day for Grady

Grady Jarrett looked rejuvenated after missing the second half of the 2023 season with a knee injury. The veteran defensive tackle racked up 1.5 sacks on Sunday with two tackles for loss and three QB hits. Considering Atlanta didn't allow a touchdown, it's hard to place much blame on the defense for Sunday's loss. There were some issues containing QB Justin Fields but it was an encouraging performance from Jarrett and newcomer Matthew Judon.

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This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: 5 takeaways from Falcons' 18-10 loss to the Steelers