Blitzberg was in full force for the Pittsburgh Steelers week 1 victory in Atlanta. Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins looked extremely uncomfortable, constantly under pressure from the Pittsburgh pass rush.

The Falcons had one touchdown drive on Sunday and it was perhaps the only true noteworthy drive.  With the offense under constant duress, Kirk Cousins tossed two interceptions off pressures from Larry Ogunjobi and TJ Watt.

Watt had two potential strip-sack fumble recoveries called back by flags. One was an extremely questionable call and angered Steelers fans alike, on a terrible offsides call on Watt. However, the defense took the game out of the referees’ hands and put it into their own on Sunday. 

Watt’s consistent pressure and concluding sack on the day show that he should always belong in the conversation for the best defensive player in football.

The Steelers’ defense held the Atlanta Falcons to 224 offensive yards and just a measly 54 yards in the second half.  The Steelers will look to build off this momentum as they head to Denver next Sunday.

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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers week 1 takeaway: Defense dominates