“First win for Pittsburgher Mike McCarthy”: Aaron Rodgers dedicates Steelers’ Week 1 victory to hometown head coach after beating Tua Tagovailoa’s Atlanta Falcons (Image via Getty: Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers)
Atlanta Falcons could have won against Pittsburgh Steelers
John Breech of CBS Sports reported that the Los Angeles Rams were considered Super Bowl favorites, but now it’s hard to imagine them winning even their division after they lost to the San Francisco 49ers 27-7 in Australia. Then the next favorites, Los Angeles Chargers, disappointed in Week 1 itself by losing 26-14 to the Arizona Cardinals. Stephen Oh’s simulation has a brutal wake-up call for the team: the Atlanta Falcons lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-13 in Week 1.
But the Falcons could have easily won against the Steelers if they were not forced to depend on their third-string quarterback, Cooper Rush, in the absence of Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. They did not wait until the playoffs to do that. Also, if the Falcons had not missed two field goals. The Stephen Oh simulation favors Atlanta to win the NFC South. As for AFC North, Pittsburgh’s division? Lamar Jackson’s team, the Baltimore Ravens, are favored to win! So even if it’s the first win for Pittsburgher Mike McCarthy, the coach and his favorite quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, have a long way to go…to even prove Stephen Oh wrong! Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
Aaron Rodgers gifts postgame victory football to Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy
The 62-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is a Pittsburgh native. McCarthy is the fourth coach that the Steelers have hired since 1969. In his recent regular-season debut, he led the team to a 20-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons. It’s been 17 years since they held a Lombardi Trophy. Anyhow, what are the Steelers’ Super Bowl chances after their Week 1 win over Tua Tagovailoa ’s Atlanta Falcons? CBS Sports’ John Breech just hours ago released predictions for the entire NFL playoff bracket after Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, including a surprise Super Bowl winner. CBS Sports updated its original 2026 NFL playoff projection after chaotic Week 1 results. Every team in the NFC South suffered a Week 1 loss, which could make it the most unpredictable division in the NFL. CBS Sports projects the Seattle Seahawks to win the Super Bowl 2027, giving the team back-to-back championships.
T.J., give me a breakdown…” Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, McCarthy’s former Green Bay Packers alum, interrupts the coach and says, “Hold on. However, thanks to CBS Sports analytics expert Stephen Oh – – whom CBS Sports’ John Breech described by saying, “If AI was human, it would be Oh” – – we have new projections. He grew up in the Greenfield neighborhood, just a couple of miles away from the Steelers’ training facility. When Pittsburgh hired him, it was nothing short of an emotional homecoming. At the postgame speech in the locker room, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy goes, “September football, it’s usually bumpy like that. Let’s give it up for the defense. Let’s enjoy this thing. Enjoy it with your family. Enjoy it with your friends. Take care of one another. Hold on. This is his first win in his hometown. He’s from Greenfield Avenue. I know this means a lot to him, okay? First win for Pittsburgher Mike McCarthy. Rodgers gifts the victory football to McCarthy and then hugs him tight. All the other players gather around them in a warm group hug. If this is not team spirit, then what is? It looks like the Steelers could reach the Super Bowl this year. This year, with his favorite Super Bowl-winning coach Mike McCarthy, he might actually secure the title! We can dream about it. So yes, we can dream about it. Could the McCarthy-Rodgers duo bring it once more? We cannot wait for the season to unfold now…can we? However, this result could alter the projection if Sam Darnold does not recover from his hip [glute] injury. As for the Pittsburgh Steelers?
He replaced long-tenured head coach Mike Tomlin, who stepped down earlier in the year. Last year, Rodgers’ team had reached the doorstep of the Super Bowl.
Stephen Oh’s simulation projects the reigning 2025 AFC champion New England Patriots to miss the projected playoff field, while the Los Angeles Rams will barely qualify despite their brutal Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. 1 seed, followed by the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars as division champions. 5, No. 6, and No. 7 seeds. 1 seed. That would produce a Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens matchup in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in February 2027.
In the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens are projected to win the AFC North and earn the No. Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos occupy the wild-card spots as No. In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks are projected to win the NFC West and take the No. The Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Atlanta Falcons are projected to win their divisions, while the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams receive wild-card spots. Stephen Oh’s simulation projects the Baltimore Ravens to defeat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game, while the Seattle Seahawks beat the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines