The Pittsburgh Steelers will officially not be playing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this weekend when they take on the Atlanta Falcons.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will officially be facing backup quarterback Cooper Rush to open the new NFL season.
The Atlanta Falcons have ruled out quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for Week 1 due to an oblique injury. Tagovailoa suffered the injury during practice on Thursday, and now will be out for this game.
With this news, the Steelers' entire game plan could change against the Falcons. Pittsburgh had been preparing to face Tagovailoa since he was named the starter for Atlanta entering this game.
Going up against Rush, Pittsburgh will have to make sure that the secondary is more active. While Rush is a backup, he has proven himself as a starter in the NFL over his career, even in a limited amount of time.
Rush appeared in the Falcons' three preseason games this year, throwing for 254 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. But over his career, he has made 16 starts, throwing for 3,766 yards with 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Much of Rush's career has been spent with the Dallas Cowboys, as the backup to Dak Prescott. But the veteran quarterback left Dallas to join the Baltimore Ravens last season
Rush didn't see too much game action a year ago, but he did manage to play in four games. In this game, Rush threw for 303 yards, zero touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Going up against a physical Steelers' defense, Rush could see some trouble. Pittsburgh will need to make sure that they can put pressure on him in this game, potentially leading to more turnovers.
If the Steelers can win the turnover battle against the Falcons, it could turn the tide toward them getting the win. Atlanta was already seen as the underdog entering this game with Tagovailoa as the starter, but now they may be behind the eight ball even more.
Pittsburgh will look to take advantage of the Falcons injury situation, trying to grab a win to open the new season. The Steelers want to get back to the playoffs this year, hoping to do more damage this time around.
With veteran Aaron Rodgers under center and a new head coach in Mike McCarthy, the Steelers have a lot of faith coming into the year. But Pittsburgh will have to prove themselves in a tough AFC once again.
Kickoff between the Steelers and Falcons will take place during the 10 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET window of games on Sunday.
