Falcons hardly look like a team turning things around in an ugly loss to Steelers in Week 1

ATLANTA (AP) — After six straight losing seasons, nothing less than a trip to the playoffs will do for the Atlanta Falcons.

They sure didn't look like a postseason contender in Week 1.

Kirk Cousins had a dismal debut with the Falcons on Sunday, throwing a pair of interceptions that brought back ugly memories of the Atlanta quarterbacks that came before him — Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.

The team gave Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract to fix the most important position on the field, but it's clearly still a work in progress based on an 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“We know he has to play better, there’s no doubt about that,” said Raheem Morris, whose first game as Falcons coach was a huge disappointment. "He’s played in the league for a long time. I look forward to him bouncing back from a rough game and a rough outing. I’m not overly concerned with that.”

The defense kept the Steelers out of the end zone, which usually would be a formula for victory.

Chris Boswell accounted for all of Pittsburgh's scoring with six field goals, three of them beyond 50 yards.

The Falcons allowed only a couple of Steelers' possessions to even reach the red zone, halting their deepest drive with no points when Nate Landman stuffed Justin Fields on a fourth-and-1 sneak at the Atlanta 6.

The defense did have one major slipup. George Pickens got free between cornerback A.J. Terrell and safety Jessie Bates on the next-to-last play of the first half, hauling in a 33-yard pass that set up Boswell's 44-yard field goal heading to the locker room.

The Cousins-led offense looked out of sync most of the day.

The Steelers sacked the quarterback twice and pressured the pocket much of the game, making it difficult for the Falcons to find any sort of rhythm.

Cousins was supposed to beef up a passing game that was stagnant the last two years, forcing Atlanta to rely heavily on its running attack.

But the Falcons' longest play was a 20-yard completion to Ray-Ray McCloud — hardly the sort of dynamic production that was expected after handing Cousins $100 million in guaranteed money to run an offense that features top-10 picks Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts at the skill positions.

Robinson showed flashes with 68 yards rushing and 43 yards receiving, but Pitts didn't do much beyond hauling in a 12-yard pass for Atlanta's only touchdown. As for London, Atlanta's leading deep threat, he was targeted just three times and finished with two catches for a measly 15 yards.

“We need to play better. That’s the bottom line,” Cousins said. “I thought our defense played very well. I thought our special teams played very well. We didn’t complement that enough on offense.”

Returning from a knee injury that cut short his 2023 season, Grady Jarrett looked like himself again with some dominating play on the defensive line.

He had 1 1/2 sacks and three hits on Fields, who got the start for the Steelers after Russell Wilson was forced to sit with a calf injury.

Jarrett has 117 QB hits in his career, passing John Abraham (115) for the most in team history.

“Really?" Jarrett said after the game when told of the record. "That’s awesome. I wish more of those QB hits were sacks, but that means a lot. I take a lot of pride in that one. I’ll continue to raise that number and keep them from scoring.”

It's only one week, but the Falcons already are facing scrutiny for doling out a huge contract to the 36-year-old Cousins, especially when they used their first-round draft pick to grab another quarterback, Michael Penix Jr.

Cousins looked shaky most of the game, completing 16 of 26 passes for just 155 yards to go along with that pair of picks.

But let's not forget this was the first game action for Cousins — regular season or preseason — since tearing his Achilles tendon last Oct. 29 while playing for the Minnesota Vikings. He was understandably rusty, and it didn't help to go against T.J. Watt and one of the league's toughest defenses.

The Falcons came into Week 1 in good health and appeared to get through the game largely unscathed.

The only player who didn’t suit up because of injury was No. 5 cornerback Antonio Hamilton (groin). The only report during the game was OG Chris Lindstrom being evaluated for a possible head injury, but he was cleared to return.

3-0 — In addition to Cousins throwing two interceptions, the Falcons lost a fumble on a botched snap and were fortunate to have another fumble overturned by a dubious penalty.

The Steelers, on the other hand, didn't have any turnovers.

“You can’t expect anything else when you turn the ball over three times,” Morris said. “Basically, that’s the story of the game.”

Considering their upcoming schedule, the Falcons sure could've used a victory on opening day.

They'll face a hostile environment next Monday night when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles (1-0).

Then it's back home on Sept. 22 for another prime-time game against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs (1-0), the two-time reigning Super Bowl champions.

AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, left, and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields meet after the Steelers won the NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) is sacked by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) and teammate defensive tackle Montravius Adams (57) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris congratulates Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett (97) after a sack during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) sacks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) jumps over Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes (21) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Falcons hardly look like a team turning things around in an ugly loss to Steelers in Week 1

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) loses the ball as he is hit by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Falcons hardly look like a team turning things around in an ugly loss to Steelers in Week 1

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Exceptionally heavy rainfall pounding Central Europe has prompted deadly flooding in the region, with four new deaths reported Monday in Poland, three in the Czech Republic and one in Romania.

The flooding has swamped parts of Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania as a low-pressure system crossing the region has unleashed record-high rains for days, and it was expected to affect Slovakia and Hungary later in the week. So far 16 people have been reported killed — seven people in Romania, five in Poland, three in the Czech Republic and one in Austria.

In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk held an emergency meeting and later declared a disaster in flooded areas, a government measure to facilitate evacuation and rescues. He also said the government would provide 1 billion zlotys ($258,000) in immediate payouts to victims.

The flooding in Poland has burst dams and embankments while receding waters left streets covered in piles of debris and mud. It prompted a hospital in the southwestern Polish city of Nysa to evacuate about 40 patients.

Schools and offices in the affected areas were closed Monday and drinking water and food were being delivered by trucks. Many Polish cities, including Warsaw, have called for food donations for flood survivors.

Experts warned of flood threats due to the cresting Oder River in Opole, a city of some 130,000 residents, and Wroclaw, home to about 640,000 residents and where disastrous flooding happened in 1997.

Firefighters in southwestern Poland said flood victims included a surgeon whose body was found Monday morning in Nysa after he returned from hospital duty. The bodies of two women and two other men have been found in other communities in the region.

Police in the Czech Republic said that a woman and two men drowned in the northeast, which has been pounded by record rainfall since Thursday. The woman was found in the water in the town of Krasov and the men were found dead at different locations after water receded in the town of Krnov which was almost completely submerged on Sunday

Romanian authorities said Monday that another person died in the eastern county of Galati, bringing the total number of deaths there to seven.

One death previously was reported in Austria.

Authorities in the Czech Republic declared an emergency in two northeastern regions, including in the Jeseniky mountains near the Polish border.

A number of towns and cities had been submerged in the northeast, with thousands evacuated. Military helicopters joined rescuers on boats in efforts to transport people to safety. Waters were receding from the mountainous areas on Monday, leaving behind destroyed houses and bridges and damaged roads.

In most parts of the country, conditions were expected to improve later Monday.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala visited the town of Jesenik, one of the hardest hit places.

“The worst is behind us and now, we have to deal with all the damage,” Fiala said following the visit.

In Hungary, the mayor of Budapest warned residents that the largest floods in a decade were expected to hit the capital later in the week, with the waters of the Danube River set to breach the city’s lower quays by Tuesday morning.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán canceled his planned foreign engagements, including an address to a plenary session of the European Parliament on Wednesday where heated debates were expected over his conduct since Hungary took over the European Union’s rotating presidency in July.

“Until we reach the peak and get past the worst of it, I naturally won’t be leaving the country, I’ll be here at home,” he said.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony wrote on Facebook that the city would use 1 million sandbags to bolster flood defenses, and asked residents to take extra care when near the river.

Karel Janicek reported from Prague. Justin Spike contributed to this report from Budapest, Hungary.

Residents ride bicycles through a flooded street in Litovel, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A resident walks through a flooded street in Liotvel, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A resident rides a bicycle through a flooded street in Litovel, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A car is stucked on a river bank after recent floods in Domasov, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

An aerial view of a flooded neighborhood in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

An aerial view of a flooded neighborhood in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Soldiers build barriers with sandbags against flood water at the bank of Danube River in Pilismarot, Hungary, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Robert Hegedus/MTI via AP)

An aerial view of a flooded neighbourhood in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Soldiers build barriers with sandbags against flood water at the bank of Danube River in Pilismarot, Hungary, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Robert Hegedus/MTI via AP)

View of the river Elbe in flood, in Rathen, Germany, Monday Sept. 16, 2024. The water levels continue to rise in Saxony. (Jan Woitas/dpa via AP)

An electricity pylon stands in the flood waters of the Neisse, in the Hagenwerder district of Görlitz, Germany, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Paul Glaser/dpa via AP)

A view of the southern Görlitz district of Weinhübel and the Neiße river overflowing its banks, in Germany, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Paul Glaser/dpa via AP)

Dark clouds are seen over the Parliament building in Budapest, Hungary, during the flooding of the Danube river on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

People fill sandbags to reinforce the dam due to the flooding of the Danube river at Tahitotfalu, Hungary, on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

People fill sandbags to reinforce the dam due to the flooding of the Danube river at Tahitotfalu, Hungary, on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

A dam is built to protect Margaret Island in Budapest, Hungary, due to the flooding of the Danube river on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Dark clouds are seen over the Parliament building in Budapest, Hungary, during the flooding of the Danube river on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

People fill sandbags to reinforce the dam due to the flooding of the Danube river at Tahitotfalu, Hungary, on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

View of the Bratislava castle as the water level of the Danube river rises during recent floods in Slovakia, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Tomas Hrivnak)

An aerial view of the River Neisse overflowing its banks, south of Görlitz, Germany, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Paul Glaser/dpa via AP)

An aerial view of a flooded neighbourhood in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

This handout photo provided by the Polish fire department, shows a flooded area near the Nysa Klodzka river in Nysa, Poland on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (KG PSP Photo via AP)

This handout photo provided by the Polish fire department, shows a flooded area near the Nysa Klodzka river in Nysa, Poland on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (KG PSP Photo via AP)

This handout photo provided by the Polish fire department, shows a flooded area near the Nysa Klodzka river in Nysa, Poland on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (KG PSP Photo via AP)

A resident struggles through mud to his house after recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Residents look at the damage done by recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Residents walk through debris after recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Residents look at the damage done by recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A resident rides a motorcycle after recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A view of the damage done by recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

View of the destroyed bridge after recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A resident struggles through mud to his house after recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Resident struggle through mud after recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A resident looks at his damaged car after recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Two German Federal Police officers patrol at the border crossing to Poland in Frankfurt/Oder, Germany, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Patrick Pleul/dpa via AP)

A view of the damage done by recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)