SCOUTING REPORT

The Steelers stay on the road — and indoors — as they head to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. After watching our Acrisure Fan Advantage video earlier this week, here’s the rest of what you need to know before the matchup:

challenge given how Atlanta operates with QB Marcus Mariota.

“Their schematic use of his mobility is a challenge.,” Tomlin said. “I think anytime you’re looking at a quarterback with a unique skill set in the area of mobility — and they have schematics to match — that has your attention. Those are the type of things that level the playing field, that create space, that produce splash plays or big plays, and we just can’t have that.”

The Tomlin translator on that one is that, essentially, the youthful Falcons don’t have better individual players than a Steelers defense led by Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick. But with inferior personnel, Atlanta will try to stay one step ahead with its game plan.

No team in the NFL has used more run-pass option plays, according

to Pro Football Reference. In his last season with the Titans, Smith used play-action more than just about any team. Now that he has a less potent running attack and a slightly different quarterback in Mariota, there has been more of a focus on the RPO game. That requires discipline at every level of the defense.

Winning his first head-coaching clash with Tomlin and keeping the Falcons afloat in the NFC South race would go a long way for Smith. Tomlin and the Steelers beat the Titans 27-24 in 2020 when Smith was pulling the strings for their offense.

“You blink, and it was 15 years ago, whether it was [Brett] Kiesel and Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith and LaMarr Woodley,” Smith said. “Now you’ve got this group of guys. There’s a standard in Pittsburgh, and it’s why I have so much respect for Mike Tomlin and what he’s done — a guy I’ve looked up to in this profession that’s sustained a lot of success there.”