Atlanta, GA
Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons predictions: How Steelers can bring home Week 1 win
The Pittsburgh Steelers will kick off their 2024 season by traveling to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face the Atlanta Falcons. It’s put up or shut up time for the Steelers, who had a hype train heading into training camp only to be derailed by a lifeless, winless preseason.
The Steelers head to Atlanta as slight underdogs and with a huge question on who will start at quarterback, but on a neutral field, oddsmakers would have you believe this game is a pick’em. Whoever is at quarterback will look to impress as Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith returns to Atlanta after they fired him last season.
Here’s my Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons predictions:
PLAYERS ON THE SPOT: Watch out for the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line. They will decide if the Steelers offense can move the ball at all. Against this talented Falcons secondary, there is very little chance that the Steelers will burn the Falcons much, even down the field. However, if they can run the ball, that could open up chunk plays over the middle of the field and afford George Pickens some one-on-one opportunities. The Steelers should trust Pickens to win those. Spencer Anderson, Dan Moore Jr., Broderick Jones, and Zach Frazier all have something to prove. Matt Judon, Grady Jarrett, and David Onyemata are no slouches. The Steelers need a good showing from this unit.
DON’T BE SURPRISED IF … The Steelers defensive line thoroughly dominates this Falcons offensive line. It is a good offensive line for the Falcons, but this Steelers defensive line, with their edge rushers, is deep and dangerous. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is likely to heat up Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is coming off an Achilles injury. That means Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, and Payton Wilson, with maybe a hint of Beanie Bishop, will be screaming off the edge on some blitzes. Even against a good group, the Steelers have the guys to win, especially on the interior. Keeanu Benton against Drew Dalman is one in the Steelers’ favor. If Larry Ogunjobi can carry over his strong preseason, too, the Steelers have a sneaky chance to put the pressure on Cousins and cause some havoc.
PREDICTION: The Steelers have a lot of mismatches going against them in this game. On defense, they can match the Falcons tit-for-tat for the most part. However, Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson, as a trio with Cousins, distribute the ball, and it feels too good not to find the end zone once or twice. They will test the undrafted free agent, Bishop, too. However, where this game loses me is the Steelers offense. That offensive line is at a disadvantage, and the Steelers do not have the weapons to exploit a much-improved Falcons secondary. The Steelers will have to cause some turnovers, no matter which quarterback is under center. And if it’s Fields, he has to take care of the ball. Either way, I think the Steelers’ defense plays well, but I can’t quite see the offense pulling them over the finish line. Falcons 20, Steelers 13
- BETTING: Check out our guide to the best PA sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Dream sign forward Amy Okonkwo to developmental contract ahead of home opener
The Atlanta Dream are undefeated heading into their home opener and still finding ways to improve their roster.
The Dream announced Wednesday the signing of forward Amy Okonkwo to a developmental contract. It’s the latest roster move for an Atlanta team that is 2-0 and gearing up to play Sunday against the defending champion, Las Vegas Aces.
Okonkwo brings an impressive résumé despite her young career.
She most recently attended training camp with the Dallas Wings ahead of the 2026 season and appeared in eight games with Dallas during the 2025 WNBA season, averaging 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting better than 60 percent from the field. She recorded a career-high 20 points against Phoenix on Sept. 11, 2025, and made history as the first undrafted player since 2000 to average 10 or more points while shooting 60 percent or better through her first two WNBA games.
Her international résumé is equally impressive. Okonkwo has earned back-to-back FIBA Women’s AfroBasket MVP honors in 2023 and 2025 while helping Nigeria’s national team capture consecutive gold medals. Collegiately, she played at USC before finishing her career at TCU, where she earned 2018 Big 12 Sixth Player of the Year honors.
Okonkwo joins a 12-player roster that includes Naz Hillmon, Te-Hina Paopao, Jordin Canada, Angel Reese, Aaliyah Nye, Rhyne Howard, Madina Okot, Allisha Gray, Isobel Borlase, Indya Nivar, Sika Kone and Brionna Jones.
The signing caps a busy stretch of roster moves for Atlanta.
Earlier this month, the Dream claimed guard Aaliyah Nye off waivers after she was selected by the expansion Toronto Tempo in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft and subsequently waived on May 7. Nye brings championship pedigree to Atlanta, having been a member of the 2025 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces as a rookie, appearing in all 44 regular season games and finishing fourth among franchise rookies in made three-pointers with 37.
A guard out of the University of Alabama, Nye is one of the sharper shooters in the league. She finished her college career with 389 three-pointers across stops at Alabama and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, shooting 40.9 percent from beyond the arc. In her final season with the Crimson Tide, she earned Second Team All-SEC honors after averaging 15.2 points per game and setting the program’s single-season record with 111 made three-pointers.
To make room for Nye, the Dream waived guard Holly Winterburn, a move that came with an emotional cost. Winterburn, a Northampton, England native who went undrafted in 2025 before signing with Atlanta as a free agent, said she learned she had been cut just before boarding the bus for the team’s first game of the season on May 9.
“I thought my welcome to the W moment would happen on the court, not as I’m getting on the bus for my first ever game,” Winterburn wrote on Instagram. “But that’s the reality of this business and I will always be grateful for the opportunity Atlanta gave me. I’m built for this.”
Winterburn did not stay without a job for long. The Portland Fire signed her to a developmental contract shortly after her release.
After Tuesday’s road win in Dallas, the Dream return home Sunday to face the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at 1:30 p.m. at State Farm Arena.
Atlanta, GA
Where to Stay in Atlanta If You Like to Eat
Atlanta’s vibrant food scene offers diners so much more than comfort food classics (although top-notch versions of chicken, biscuits, and all the fixings can be found here, certainly), and leaving the city without tucking into an unforgettable meal should be criminal. But the trick is knowing where to go.
To make your stay in The A culinarily memorable, you need not only an up-to-date list of the city’s epicurean hotspots, but you also need to choose a home base that makes it easy to get to where you want to go. Choose your hotel poorly, and you might miss where fine dining finds industrial restoration in West Midtown, the continuous creative renewal in buildings and on menus in Old Fourth Ward, or the spirit and soulful flavors of Atlanta’s southside. That won’t be an issue with what’s below.
Old Fourth Ward
The walkable Old Fourth Ward neighborhood (O4W for short, which is located north of downtown Atlanta and southeast of Midtown) is home to many of the city’s top food spots. Find a morning pick-me-up from Chrome Yellow Trading Co., sweet treat from Little Tart bakery, or a decadent sandwich from Kinship Butcher & Sundry, where you can choose if you want your breakfast sausage sandwich served “double double,” or opt for a lunchier option like griddled pork belly with “drunken” mustard on brioche. Eastbound to downtown Decatur, Michelin-recommended and James-Beard-Foundation-recognized restaurants like Kimball House, home to some of metro Atlanta’s best oysters and craft cocktails, and The Deer & The Dove, where farm-to-table is performed with a fierce focus on flavor, are admired far beyond their suburban city’s limits.
O4W is also near historic Inman Park, where you can find exceptional pasta at BoccaLupo, steaks at Kevin Rathbun Steak, or dinner with premium cocktails at Ticonderoga Club at Krog Street Market.
Forth
Forth bills itself as part hotel, part local hangout and membership club, and its range of amenities and convenient location makes it a smart choice for your home base. It’s just off the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail and a five-minute walk to Ponce City Market, a food hall with stalls from a who’s-who of Atlanta’s culinary talent. (Don’t miss Botiwalla, where chef Meherwan Irani of the award-winning restaurant Chai Pani is slinging dishes inspired by Indian street food.)
Rooms at Forth mix mid-century style and modern function, you’ll find both heavy black telephones inspired by the old-school rotary dials and Bluetooth-enabled radio speakers in groovy wooden and brushed copper casing. The decor is otherwise understated, featuring metallics and earthtones, which allows the views they afford of the surrounding buildings and Beltline activity below to stay the star.
Atlanta, GA
Hawks 109-108 Knicks (Apr 23, 2026) Final Score – ESPN
McCollum ruins Knicks’ night again, leading the Hawks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-1 lead
— CJ McCollum hit a fadeaway jumper with 12.5 seconds left to ruin New York’s night again, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-1 lead over the Knicks in their first-round…
Apr 23, 2026, 10:32 pm – AP
-
Dallas, TX4 minutes agoDallas Approves $180,500 for New Botham Jean Boulevard Street Signs
-
Miami, FL10 minutes agoMiami residents sue over land for Trump presidential library
-
Boston, MA16 minutes agoBoston has a secret society built on opium money in ‘The Society’
-
Denver, CO21 minutes agoDenver weather: Nearing record highs again
-
Seattle, WA28 minutes agoSeattle weather: Increasing clouds and cool showers on Thursday
-
San Diego, CA34 minutes agoDaily Business Report: May 14, 2026, San Diego Metro Magazine
-
Milwaukee, WI40 minutes agoMilwaukee’s Festival of Flowers returns for second year with new additions
-
Atlanta, GA46 minutes agoAtlanta Dream sign forward Amy Okonkwo to developmental contract ahead of home opener