Nobody knows 1-0 better than Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFL’s only six-time Super Bowl champions, have proved time and again they have the capability to finish strong.

Lately, they’ve tended to start strong too.

The Steelers have won seven consecutive openers, the league’s longest such streak, and if they beat Atlanta at Heinz Field on Sunday they can surpass Kansas City (1990-96) for the fourth-most consecutive victories on so-called Kickoff Weekend.

There’s a big complication, of course, in that Dennis Dixon is starting at quarterback in place of the suspended Ben Roethlisberger. It’s only Dixon’s second start.

That doesn’t automatically mean the Steelers are going to get overly conservative and stop throwing the ball.

“To go out and say we have to run the ball to win the game, put a number of runs on it, I don’t believe that,” offensive coordinator Bruce Arians told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “You have to score points.”

Arians said he’s comfortable putting the game in Dixon’s hands, if need be.

“We’re going to do whatever it takes to win,” he said.

The most consecutive games won on Kickoff Weekend since 1970 (*active streak):

Off on the right foot

Every player wants to begin the season on a high note, but it’s pretty difficult to match what these NFL players did in their openers, working their way into the league record books for the best performances in season openers:

A 49er at heart

Cincinnati receiver Terrell Owens needs 49 yards receiving to reach 15,000 yards for his career — something only Isaac Bruce and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice have done. Interestingly, Rice, Bruce and Owens all played for San Francisco.

The most career receiving yards in NFL history (*active):