Two questionable decisions against the Steelers let the Falcons take the lead in the first half

When the Pittsburgh Steelers played their season opener against the Atlanta Falcons on the road on Sunday, two potentially game-deciding decisions went against them, giving the Falcons a 10-9 halftime lead.

Ironically, one decision went against the Steelers' defense, while one decision went against their offense. In both cases, these were significant plays that could have truly changed the game.

The newly formed offense struggled to move the ball through the air, with backup quarterback Justin Fields starting for the injured Russell Wilson. However, the Steelers tried to score with an explosive play through the air in the second quarter, when Fields lofted the ball up the left sideline for a 36-yard gain to standout wide receiver George Pickens.

On third-and-9 from the Steelers' 46-yard line, Fields threw the ball into the basket for Pickens. It looked rather routine, but the referee ruled that Pickens had been pushed away from the basket for offensive pass interference, nullifying the 36-yard gain.

Replays showed Pickens made contact with Falcons cornerback AJ Terrell, but it wasn't egregious. Pickens didn't even extend his arms, which is usually a clear sign of OPI.

It was a rather weak decision that stopped a promising advance by the Steelers and led to a punt.

Although Steelers punter Cameron Johnston pinned the Falcons at their own 10-yard line, the decision backfired on the Steelers, preventing them from scoring any points.

Not to be outdone, that flag was called against Pickens on the Falcons' next drive, this time because of a frustrating decision by TJ Watt.

On a 1st-and-10 from the Steelers' 17-yard line, Watt seemingly made a clean exit at the snap and beat Atlanta right tackle Kaleb McGary around the corner, getting a hand on the football, leading to a strip sack by QB Kirk Cousins ​​and a fumble recovery.

However, the referees recognized that Watt was offside during this play, so the loss of the ball was not recognized.

Replays showed that Watt seemed to have timed the snap perfectly with the nod of Falcons center Drew Dalman's head. There was no clear shot along the line of scrimmage, but from other angles it was very, very close. That led to Watt coming off the field quite agitated and throwing some harsh words at the refs.

He was also excited when he spoke with head coach Mike Tomlin.

One play later, Cousins ​​ran around and threw a 12-yard touchdown to tight end Kyle Pitts on a broken play, giving the Falcons a 10-6 lead.

Fortunately, the Steelers scored a late field goal, so that they were only behind 10-9 at halftime, but the two questionable decisions clearly turned the course of the first half in favor of the Falcons.