No, I don’t believe NFL games are scripted. However, I do feel like most coaches, particularly Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, have a script in mind for how they want their teams to play every week.

If you’ve been following the Steelers since the end of the Killer B’s era, then you know the script Tomlin has insisted his players memorize before every kickoff: Keep the game low-scoring; don’t turn the football over; let the defense do most of the heavy lifting; and make enough plays on offense to win it at the end.

Pittsburgh’s 18-10 Week 1 victory over the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday afternoon was similar in so many ways to the Week 1 victory at Buffalo in 2021 and the Week 1 win at Cincinnati in 2022. That script was either lost before the Steelers’ 30-7 Week 1 shellacking at the hands of the 49ers at Acrisure Stadium last September or it was stolen, but it was found in time to win 10 games in 2023 and clinch a spot in the NFL postseason.

I was texting back and forth with some buddies during the Steelers/Falcons 2024 lid-lifter on Sunday, and I said, “This is a Tomlin dream game.” Meaning, it was the dream scenario for the former defensive coordinator, who seems to value safety over risk-taking in the post-Ben Roethlisberger/post-Big Ben prime years.

Justin Fields got the start at quarterback over the calf-compromised Russell Wilson and did his part by not turning the football over while throwing or running (though, there were a couple of shaky snap exchanges between him and rookie center Zach Frazier). Fields completed 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. He also toted the rock 14 times for 57 yards. The Steelers’ offensive attack couldn’t have been less imaginative if it was drawn up by Matt Canada and/or Randy Fichtner, as it tallied just 270 yards over 60 minutes of game time. But Pittsburgh fed the Falcons a steady diet of Najee Harris; while the fourth-year back who became collegiately famous by doing a ton of damage in SEC states like Georgia didn’t make their defenders hurl, Harris certainly made their tummies hurt by running hard all day long, as he tallied 70 tough yards on 20 carries. Harris seemed close to breaking a long gain several times. He repeatedly got up from a tough run making that gesture with his index finger and thumb indicating he was “that close.” Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn’t. But there were only a few plays you could point to that may have led to a touchdown had things gone differently. One was a 36-yard pass to receiver George Pickens down to the Atlanta 18 with five minutes left in the second quarter. This may have ultimately led to six points, but it led to a punt after Pickens was called for pushing off on the play. Late in the game, with the Steelers leading 15-10 midway through the fourth quarter, they faced a third and two from the Atlanta six. A quick receiver screen to Van Jefferson–his lone catch of the game–seemed destined to become the first touchdown of the day and the season. However, the blocking was kind of iffy, and Jefferson was tackled one yard short of the sticks. Considering how Tomlin had played things up to that point–putting the game in the hands of his defense and his kicker’s right leg–sending Chris Boswell out to try a chip-shot field goal seemed logical. Boswell had connected on five out of five field goal attempts up to that point–including three from 50-plus–and was Pittsburgh’s only offensive scoring on the day and season. An eight-point lead with seven minutes and change remaining in regulation? Nobody could have blamed Tomlin for taking three and trusting his highly-paid defense to close things out. But Tomlin chose this moment not to live in his fears and the result was giving the Falcons new life after their defense stymied Fields on a quarterback sneak.

There was no need to worry since the defense did finish the job, first by forcing a three-and-out. On the Falcons’ next possession, the defense all but put the game away when cornerback Donte Jackson intercepted a pass by quarterback Kirk Cousins and returned it 33 yards to the Atlanta 18. The Steelers offense then forced the Falcons to burn all of their timeouts and picked up a first down right before the two-minute warning. Pittsburgh milked as much clock as possible over the next three plays before trotting Boswell out to connect on his sixth field goal of the day from 25 yards out.

There were only 28 seconds left, and a 1-0 start was all but official.

The Steelers followed their head coach’s script to perfection.

The defense limited Atlanta’s offense to just 226 yards–including 54 after halftime. The Falcons were only two of nine on third down, while Pittsburgh was eight of 17. The Steelers’ famed pass rush, led by T.J. Watt and his one sack and three QB hits, eventually became unstoppable and began to terrorize Cousins and his veteran offensive line.

The Falcons offense, led by Cousins, approaching $300 million in career earnings, turned the football over three times. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s offense, led by Fields, still looking for his second career contract, didn’t turn the ball over once.

Again, Tomlin’s script couldn’t have been executed better in Week 1. It remains to be seen if the Steelers can continue to use the same script to defeat better quarterbacks and teams. However, it should work up until the Dallas game on October 6. It should work against the majority of teams on Pittsburgh’s schedule.

Will it be good enough to defeat the Cowboys, Eagles or Chiefs? It doesn’t seem likely. It may not even work against the Jets and Bengals if Aaron Rodgers and Joe Burrow have their offenses rolling by the time Pittsburgh plays them.

Maybe the script will be different by then. Perhaps Wilson will return to his glory days as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Maybe Fields will ultimately become the full-time starter and begin to realize his first-round potential.

That all will be revealed soon enough, but the Steelers escaped Sunday’s game with no serious injuries, save for a season-ender for their accomplished new punter. There is real potential for a healthy Pittsburgh defense to be elite in 2024 (and not just because we want to believe it is).

The Steelers’ script may not be ideal, but there’s no point in complaining about it because it’s the one Tomlin insists on using in the absence of a franchise quarterback.

It’s up to his players to memorize the lines and perform them as best they can.

The Steelers did that in Week 1.