Brian Angelichio Saw Something He Liked From Steelers’ Deep Passing Game Despite Missed Chances

· Yahoo Sports

The Pittsburgh Steelers got the result they wanted in Week 1; however, their passing game still left plenty on the table. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked much more willing to push the ball downfield than he did last season, and the Steelers found ways to test the Atlanta Falcons’ coverage early.

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There were missed chances along the way. Some throws didn’t even connect, and the offense never found a perfect rhythm. Still, offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio came away encouraged by one part of the attack.

Brian Angelichio Sees Progress In Pittsburgh Steelers’ Downfield Passing Game

Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

On September 15, the Steelers OC Angelichio explained why he liked what he saw from the team’s deep passing approach in the 20-13 win over the Falcons. The Steelers entered the game wanting to take shots and make the Falcons defend the entire field.

“I certainly think comfort has a lot to do with it, but that was something that we wanted to do was take some shots and try to stress the coverage. Unfortunately, we had some ops at some and we didn’t quite execute the way we wanted to.” 

 

And the results were noticeable too. The veteran QB held the ball longer and pushed his throws farther downfield than he did during his first season in Pittsburgh. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, his average time to throw was 2.95 seconds, while his intended air yards sat at 9.5.

That was a pretty big change from 2025. Rodgers had the quickest average time to throw among starting quarterbacks last season at 2.59 seconds, while his 6.0 average intended air yards ranked as the shortest among starters.

In this case, it was evident that the Steelers wanted to create something big. The Steelers also faced many single-high coverages from the Falcons, giving the 42-year-old the opportunity to create something vertical. Michael Pittman Jr. took full advantage of his three targets, while other opportunities in the air remained unconverted.

One of the most notable opportunities lost was that of Roman Wilson. He earned himself a pass interference call for a 37-yard play that would’ve resulted in a touchdown without it. Then Wilson got another opportunity in the end zone, although he failed to complete the play while trying to fall down.

That is where the Steelers’ opener gets interesting. The deep shots were there; however, the execution was not always clean. Head coach Mike McCarthy admitted Monday that the offense felt “herky jerky” at times and said he did not like the lack of consistent rhythm. Still, he liked the mentality behind the attack and pointed to the middle of the field as a major part of what Pittsburgh wants to build around.

The Steelers now have a full game of tape to work from before facing the New England Patriots in Week 2. The Falcons showed them what worked, what missed, and where Rodgers can keep attacking. For Angelichio, the missed throws did not erase the bigger takeaway: the Steelers wanted to stretch coverage, and it finally showed that intent.

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