Steelers gearing up for season opener against the Falcons
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The countdown to kickoff is on with just a few more days before the Steelers' season gets underway on Sunday in Atlanta.
With a new deal for Cam Heyward and Russell Wilson in the quarterback position, the black and gold are gearing up for a few tough games ahead of them.
KDKA's Cassidy Wood spoke with the team and brings us their thoughts on the new season.
The Steelers will head to Atlanta to face the Falcons, a team with a new coaching staff -- one of the youngest in all of the NFL.
There are still a lot of unknowns, which present a number of challenges when trying to game plan for an opponent.
"You know, they have a new coaching staff, so it's really still a guessing game at this point," said offensive lineman Broderick Jones. "The coaching staff they have there now, it's a lot of people that have been around the league, so we're just watching film from their previous team.
For head coach Raheem Morris, that previous team was the Los Angeles Rams, where he spent the last three seasons as defensive coordinator. Both of Morris' coordinators came from Los Angeles, as well.
Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson was the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Rams and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake previously served as assistant head coach under Sean McVay.
Broderick Jones and other Steelers linemen say that they're excited to get on the road and compete in a game that actually counts.
"It's super exciting," Jones said. "Just being able to still be here and continue to do what I love and what I've been doing all my life, which is play football. I'm ready to get out there and put my best foot forward and show what I can do."
"Just being able to put that on display is a huge blessing," Jones added.
Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will be making an Atlanta homecoming, where he was the Falcons' head coach for three years.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that because of all the turnover in Atlanta, it's really not a huge advantage for the Falcons.
Kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday.