Pittsburgh Steelers Fans And Players Whip Falcons In Atlanta

If you wish to know about the strength of the Steeler Nation beyond the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers around Pittsburgh, just consider what happened Sunday 685 miles to the south near the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium became Acrisure Stadium.

That was the case throughout this NFL game, dominated by the visitors in more ways than one, but never more so than down the stretch.

Barely six minutes remained.

The Atlanta Falcons trailed the Pittsburgh Steelers 19-13, but those playing for the home team were driving on offense — first from their 26, and then inside of Steelers territory to the 23, and before long, they were at the 20 and then the 17 for second and goal.

Around maybe 75% to 80% of the 70,325 folks in attendance stood up to cheer like crazy, and it wasn’t for those playing for the home team on offense.

These fans waved Terrible Towels, the gold ones with the black letters to signify the Steelers colors, and they did so, because that’s what they do, but mostly because all of the Steelers defensive players on the field before the Falcons broke the huddle kept throwing their hands to the air, urging the Steeler Nation to get louder and then LOUDER, which it did.

The Falcons settled for a field goal.

Moments later, the Steelers left town as 19-16 winners and owners of a 5-7 record after their third victory in four games, and they could cite the Heywards — Connor, a tight end, and his brother, Cameron, a defensive tackle. While Connor grabbed the first touchdown catch of his rookie career, Cameron showed why he is a five-time Pro Bowl player in his 12th NFL season with the Steelers’ only sack.

Cameron also broke up a pass and harassed Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota in general, and there was this: Earlier in the day, the brothers visited the Atlanta-area grave of their father, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, and Ironhead was a bulldozer runner for three season with the Falcons during the 1990s before he died after his football career of cancer at 39.

“My dad and God are always working together,” Cameron Heyward said of Ironhead, and if you didn’t know better, you would think those tens of thousands of folks wearing anything you could imagine featuring Steelers colors also were working together to help their beloved team win.

Steelers fans spent the entire weekend everywhere throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area. Then again, they have been masters since the days of Terry Bradshaw, the Steel Curtain defense and four Super Bowl titles during the 1970s at invading a city when the Steelers are in town to make you swear you took the wrong turn on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Just two years ago, Terrible Towel wavers ranked only behind the fans of the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints (in that order) on the Forbes list for most passionate NFL fans. The year before that, those partisan to all things Steelers were fourth again on a Forbes list, but this time, in the category for the NFL’s best fans overall.

Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett had his own list, and you probably know where he placed those of the Steeler Nation in every category.

“Yeah, it’s unbelievable. We have the best fans in the world,” Pickett told CBS after he completed 16 of 28 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. “They travel to every stadium and it feels like we’re at home at every stadium. They do an unbelievable job. We have so much appreciation and we’re grateful for the great fans that we have. We give it our all every Sunday for them.”

The Falcons wouldn’t disagree.