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Get loud on Sunday, Niner fans! That was San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's message to the Niner Faithful before Thursday's practice.
Saleh is hoping the fans in attendance for the first game of the season at Levi's Stadium make things difficult for the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2). San Francisco is looking to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 1998 and prove its doubters wrong.
"Get loud. You've got to get loud," Saleh said. "There's no more excuses, right? Everyone talks about Seattle having an unbelievable home-field advantage but I know this stadium can get loud too.
"When we've got guys, especially for us up front, we need that advantage of the quarterback not being able to go with the hard count. He's got to go with the silent count, and if we're loud, and have to go silent, I have faith in our pass rushers to beat their linemen off the ball."
One 49ers player who knows a little something about Seattle's home-field advantage is cornerback Richard Sherman, who spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Seahawks. He knows for the Levi's Stadium crowd to become a game-changing force, the 49ers need to start winning consistently.
"I think no matter where you're playing, no matter what stadium you're in, in order to get the fans enthusiastic about coming to see you, especially at this stadium where it's kind of hot, and there's not a lot of shade, you have to put on a good product," Sherman said. "And that's on us. That's on the team, that's on the players, and that's on the coaches."
San Francisco has started the process of winning, doing so in each of its first two games on the road. The trips saw hordes of Niner fans in the opposing stadiums.
"These last two games in Tampa and Cincinnati especially, it turned into a home game with all the red out there," quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo said on Wednesday. "It was fun. So yeah, I would expect a great atmosphere this Sunday and hope the crowd's rocking."
Saleh was asked if the 49ers defense practiced dealing with a noisy home stadium. That's when the defensive coordinator challenged fans.
"Until our fans give us a reason to, we don't have to," Saleh responded. "So the fans got to get loud."
When asked if that was a challenge to the Niner Faithful, Saleh answered, "Oh yeah, absolutely," while laughing.
What is Sherman's message to 49ers fans on Sunday?
"For the fans that will come out, just be loud," he said. "We appreciate the noise. Obviously, not when our offense is on the field. They appreciate some quiet. But when the defense is out there, man, have a good time. Enjoy this. Enjoy these games.
"We'll do our best to put a great product out there, and have both sides happy. We appreciate your support. Go Niners."
According to Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein, who writes for "All Steelers" on the network, there's a level of confidence within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization that they can strike a deal for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk—and at a bargain rate.
"According to a team source, the Steelers and 49ers trade talks are real," Strackbein wrote. "While nothing is imminent, they 'would be surprised if it didn't happen.' But it all comes down to compensation, and Pittsburgh isn't willing to budge much on price."
While it seems unlikely that the 49ers would part ways with Aiyuk for anything less than a first-round draft
According to NFL Insider, Benjamin Allbright, the Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to trade for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, to add him as a weapon for QB Russell Wilson. The Steelers added Wilson earlier this offseason after the Denver Broncos decided to move on from him. Aiyuk, if paired with Steelers WR George Pickens, would give Wilson two dangerous threats in the passing game.
👀 pic.twitter.com/261FS6DjhL— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL)
Analyst Steve Palazzolo unveiled a first-round mock draft for Pro Football Focus, attempting to forecast the selections for each NFL team within the top 32 picks. While the San Francisco 49ers concentrated on strengthening the defensive line in free agency, Palazzolo envisions the team continuing to fortify that side of the ball.
In his mock draft, Palazzolo predicts that the 49ers will select former Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa with the No. 31 overall pick.
"Tampa's unique fluidity and size for a cornerback make him worthy of a top-75 pick," reads the analysis from Pro Football Focus' big board. "If he can clean up his footwork, he can
It's evident that the San Francisco 49ers engaged in long-term financial planning. Much discussion has centered around the feasibility of the team committing significant financial resources to two wide receivers, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Some skeptics question the wisdom of such heavy investment in a single position, especially considering that the 49ers handed Samuel a substantial three-year extension merely two years ago.
Adding complexity to this debate is the impending contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy, positioning him to become the highest-paid player on the team. He will likely even become one of the NFL's highest-paid players. Where he ranks in average salary will depend upon whether he can replicate the stellar performance of his Pro Bowl 2023
