Quick answer
- Winner
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Final score
- Pittsburgh Steelers 15–9 Atlanta Falcons
- Halftime
- Tied 3–3 at halftime
- FantasyHQ MVP
- H. Ward
- Top passer
- De'Shaan Dixon
- Biggest EPA play
- (12:36) 34-R.Mendenhall right tackle for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Game date
- 2010-09-12
Game summary
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Atlanta Falcons 15–9 on 2010-09-12. H. Ward posted a game-high +7.69 total EPA in the receiving.
The highest-scoring period was Q3 with 6 combined points.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | |
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA).
- 1
H. Ward · Pittsburgh Steelers · Receiving · +7.69 total EPA · 7 snaps · +1.10 EPA/play - 2
H. Douglas · Atlanta Falcons · Receiving · +3.12 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.04 EPA/play - 3
M. Wallace · Pittsburgh Steelers · Receiving · +2.55 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.51 EPA/play - 4
E. Weems · Atlanta Falcons · Receiving · +2.08 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.52 EPA/play - 5
R. Mendenhall · Pittsburgh Steelers · Rushing · +1.11 total EPA · 22 snaps · +0.05 EPA/play - 6
Matt Ryan · Atlanta Falcons · Rushing · +0.83 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.41 EPA/play - 7
R. Mendenhall · Pittsburgh Steelers · Receiving · +0.83 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.41 EPA/play - 8
J. Norwood · Atlanta Falcons · Rushing · +0.82 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.41 EPA/play
FantasyHQ Game MVP
Highest total EPA with the player's top snap and the game's biggest single play when different.
FantasyHQ Game MVP
H. Ward — PIT · Receiving
H. Ward posted the highest total EPA (+7.69) in the game, the strongest overall impact for Pittsburgh Steelers. Across 7 counted snaps, they averaged +1.10 EPA per play.
H. Ward's top snap (+2.78 EPA): (13:15) (Shotgun) 10-D.Dixon pass deep middle to 86-H.Ward to PIT 43 for 24 yards (23-D.Robinson).
Biggest single play (+4.39 EPA): R. Mendenhall — (12:36) 34-R.Mendenhall right tackle for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Quarterback report card
De'Shaan Dixon led all passers in efficiency for Pittsburgh Steelers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
De'Shaan Dixon (Pittsburgh Steelers) · 31 dropbacks · 58.1% completion · +4.5% CPOE · -0.08 EPA/play · -2.50 total EPA
Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) · 1 dropbacks · 100% completion · +27.6% CPOE · +0.04 EPA/play · +0.04 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency.
| Stat | ||
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.081 | -0.027 |
| Offensive success rate | 48.9% | 40.0% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.075 | -0.081 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.209 | +0.028 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.027 | +0.081 |
| Defensive success rate | 60.0% | 51.1% |
Drive & efficiency notes
Pittsburgh Steelers held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (-0.03 vs -0.08), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
Season benchmark context (offensive EPA per play):
- Atlanta Falcons: -0.08 EPA/play (31st percentile vs. 2010 team-game averages)
- Pittsburgh Steelers: -0.03 EPA/play (42nd percentile vs. 2010 team-game averages)
- Atlanta Falcons: 13 drives, -7.49 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 12 drives, -2.02 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal from official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
Pittsburgh Steelers — R. Mendenhall
Field goals

Pittsburgh Steelers — Joe Reed 
Atlanta Falcons — Myles Bryant 
Atlanta Falcons — Myles Bryant 
Pittsburgh Steelers — Joe Reed 
Pittsburgh Steelers — Joe Reed 
Atlanta Falcons — Myles Bryant
Quarter by quarter
Quarter-by-quarter recap from live scoring plays.
The opening quarter: Pittsburgh Steelers won the period 3–0. Pittsburgh Steelers connected on a field goal from the ATL 34 (Q1 7:57).
The second quarter: Atlanta Falcons won the period 3–0. Atlanta Falcons connected on a field goal from the PIT 31 (Q2 0:04) — (:04) (Field Goal formation) 3-M.Bryant 49 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-82-J.Zelenka, Holder-9-M.Koenen..
The third quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. Atlanta Falcons connected on a field goal from the PIT 21 (Q3 10:45) — (10:45) (Field Goal formation) 3-M.Bryant 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-82-J.Zelenka, Holder-9-M.Koenen.; Pittsburgh Steelers connected on a field goal from the ATL 18 (Q3 6:58) — (6:58) (Field Goal formation) 3-J.Reed 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-9-D.Sepulveda..
The fourth quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. Pittsburgh Steelers connected on a field goal from the ATL 16 (Q4 8:58) — (8:58) (Field Goal formation) 3-J.Reed 34 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-9-D.Sepulveda.; Atlanta Falcons connected on a field goal from the PIT 5 (Q4 3:28) — (3:28) (Field Goal formation) 3-M.Bryant 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-82-J.Zelenka, Holder-9-M.Koenen..
Overtime: Pittsburgh Steelers won the period 6–0. Pittsburgh Steelers found the end zone from the ATL 50 (OT 12:36) — (12:36) 34-R.Mendenhall right tackle for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most.
- Atlanta Falcons (Q4 1:45) — (1:45) (Shotgun) 2-Ryan pass short right intended for 84-R.White INTERCEPTED by 43-T.Polamalu at ATL 31. 43-T.Polamalu ran ob at ATL 30 for 1 yard. The Replay Assistant challenged the runner was in bo
- Pittsburgh Steelers (OT 12:36) — (12:36) 34-R.Mendenhall right tackle for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Q4 0:43) — (:43) (Field Goal formation) 3-J.Reed 40 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-9-D.Sepulveda.
- Atlanta Falcons (Q2 1:49) — (1:49) (Field Goal formation) 3-M.Bryant 46 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-82-J.Zelenka, Holder-9-M.Koenen.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Q3 10:01) — (10:01) 10-D.Dixon pass deep right to 17-M.Wallace to ATL 26 for 52 yards (26-E.Coleman).
Impact plays
Highest EPA snaps that flipped field position.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (OT 12:36) — (12:36) 34-R.Mendenhall right tackle for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Q3 10:01) — (10:01) 10-D.Dixon pass deep right to 17-M.Wallace to ATL 26 for 52 yards (26-E.Coleman).
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Q2 4:41) — (4:41) 10-D.Dixon pass short right intended for 83-H.Miller INTERCEPTED by 53-M.Peterson at ATL 27. 53-M.Peterson to ATL 28 for 1 yard (83-H.Miller).
- Atlanta Falcons (Q4 1:45) — (1:45) (Shotgun) 2-Ryan pass short right intended for 84-R.White INTERCEPTED by 43-T.Polamalu at ATL 31. 43-T.Polamalu ran ob at ATL 30 for 1 yard. The Replay Assistant challenged the runner was in bo
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with play-by-play context.
Pittsburgh Steelers FG (+3) — Q1 7:57 · ATL 34 · Score 0-3
(7:57) (Field Goal formation) 3-J.Reed 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-9-D.Sepulveda. Longest NFL field goal in Heinz Field history.
Atlanta Falcons FG (+3) — Q2 0:04 · PIT 31 · Score 3-3
(:04) (Field Goal formation) 3-M.Bryant 49 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-82-J.Zelenka, Holder-9-M.Koenen.
Atlanta Falcons FG (+3) — Q3 10:45 · PIT 21 · Score 6-3
(10:45) (Field Goal formation) 3-M.Bryant 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-82-J.Zelenka, Holder-9-M.Koenen.
Pittsburgh Steelers FG (+3) — Q3 6:58 · ATL 18 · Score 6-6
(6:58) (Field Goal formation) 3-J.Reed 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-9-D.Sepulveda.
Pittsburgh Steelers FG (+3) — Q4 8:58 · ATL 16 · Score 6-9
(8:58) (Field Goal formation) 3-J.Reed 34 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-9-D.Sepulveda.
Atlanta Falcons FG (+3) — Q4 3:28 · PIT 5 · Score 9-9
(3:28) (Field Goal formation) 3-M.Bryant 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-82-J.Zelenka, Holder-9-M.Koenen.
Pittsburgh Steelers TD (+6) — OT 12:36 · ATL 50 · Score 9-15
(12:36) 34-R.Mendenhall right tackle for 50 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research and follow-up box score digging.
- Pittsburgh Steelers earned the result — use the box score for snap-level context.
- One-score margin — verify garbage-time stats before drawing fantasy conclusions.
- H. Ward (Pittsburgh Steelers) led total EPA — start here for highlight and prop research.
- De'Shaan Dixon (PIT) finished above expected through the air (positive CPOE).
Frequently asked questions
Who won Atlanta Falcons vs Pittsburgh Steelers on 2010-09-12?
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Atlanta Falcons 15-9 in Week 1, 2010.
What was the score by quarter in Atlanta Falcons vs Pittsburgh Steelers?
Q1: Atlanta Falcons 0, Pittsburgh Steelers 3; Q2: Atlanta Falcons 3, Pittsburgh Steelers 0; Q3: Atlanta Falcons 3, Pittsburgh Steelers 3; Q4: Atlanta Falcons 3, Pittsburgh Steelers 3; Q5: Atlanta Falcons 0, Pittsburgh Steelers 6; Final: Atlanta Falcons 9, Pittsburgh Steelers 15.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Atlanta Falcons vs Pittsburgh Steelers?
Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown — R. Mendenhall (OT 12:36) Pittsburgh Steelers field goal — J. Reed (Q1 7:57, 3 pts) Atlanta Falcons field goal — M. Bryant (Q2 0:04, 3 pts) Atlanta Falcons field goal — M. Bryant (Q3 10:45, 3 pts) Pittsburgh Steelers field goal — J. Reed (Q3 6:58, 3 pts) Pittsburgh Steelers field goal — J. Reed (Q4 8:58, 3 pts) Atlanta Falcons field goal — M. Bryant (Q4 3:28, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Atlanta Falcons vs Pittsburgh Steelers?
De'Shaan Dixon (Pittsburgh Steelers), 58.1% completion, +4.5% CPOE, -0.08 EPA per dropback, -2.50 total passing EPA. Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons), 100% completion, +27.6% CPOE, +0.04 EPA per dropback, +0.04 total passing EPA.
Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Atlanta Falcons vs Pittsburgh Steelers?
H. Ward (Pittsburgh Steelers) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +7.69 total EPA on Receiving plays. across 7 snaps. Their top snap (+2.78 EPA): (13:15) (Shotgun) 10-D.Dixon pass deep middle to 86-H.Ward to PIT 43 for 24 yards (23-D.Robinson)..
Was Atlanta Falcons vs Pittsburgh Steelers a close game?
Yes — the margin was 6 points. Pittsburgh Steelers won 15-9 in a game that stayed within one score into the fourth quarter.
Season records after this game
Atlanta Falcons
Now 0-1 L
Pittsburgh Steelers
Now 1-0 W