Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports


49ers vs. Steelers: Five Keys to Victory and Score Prediction

Matt Andruscavage
Sep 21, 2019 at 12:00 PM


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The San Francisco 49ers are 2-0 and now it's time for the home opener! The 49ers will host the 0-2 Pittsburgh Steelers and have a chance to go 3-0 for the first time since 1998. Coach Kyle Shanahan stated this week that it was very important to head into the Week 4 bye week with a 3-0 record. Here are the keys to achieving a win on Sunday:

Where and When: 1:25 PM PST (4:25 p.m. EST) at Levi's Stadium

Where to Watch: How to watch or listen to Steelers at 49ers

1) Keep Jimmy Garoppolo Upright


It's no secret. Everyone is concerned over the loss of Left Tackle Joe Staley, who sustained a broken fibula against the Bengals that will sideline him for six to eight weeks.

San Francisco will start rookie Justin Skule and you can bet Shanahan will try to out-scheme Pittsburgh's defense in an attempt to fortify Garoppolo's blind side.

The left side isn't the only area of concern. Pittsburgh has a very good defense and it will be up to the entire offensive line to do its job. The 49ers have only allowed six pressures and Garoppolo has only been sacked once (against Tampa). If it can protect Garoppolo, this offense should continue to roll.

2) Continue to be Successful on Early Downs


Last week against Cincinnati, the 49ers found themselves facing a third down 9 times and converted on first downs on 5 of them. The real eye-popping stat was that they accumulated 500 of their 572 yards on first and second downs! (by the way, on those plays they averaged 8.5 yards per play!)

If the 49ers can continue this kind of success on first and second downs, the running game will have a great chance to open up. San Francisco was able to rush for 259 yards and a 6.2 yard per carry average, which was a thing of beauty to behold. The Steelers have given up 250 yards total in two games and could continue in this trend if the 49ers can sustain drives and keep the Steelers' defense on the field.

It should also be noted that the 49ers are the only team in the NFL to not start a drive with a three and out. That won't last the season, but it does mean that the 49ers have a good chance to stay on the field a long time on Sunday.

3) Pressure and Hit Mason Rudolph


Rookie quarterback Mason Rudolph will get his first start against the 49ers and it will be up to the front seven and Robert Saleh's scheme to make sure he is greeted with a lot of pressure.

The Niners have been pressuring the quarterback very well thus far and even though Dee Ford may be on a pitch count due to his quad/knee, Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, Ronald Blair, and Arik Armstead have all been doing a great job getting after the passer.

Saleh has not had to blitz much as the 49ers are getting home with only a four-man pass rush, but this may be the week to send extra pressure and make Rudolph as uncomfortable as possible. If the Niners are able to get pressure early, we could be looking at sacks, but most importantly, a turnover or two.

4) Avoid Penalties!


The penalties seemed down last week as the Bengals only received one first down due to penalties, but the 49ers still had nine for 75 yards.

They cannot afford penalties that nullify big plays or put them in second and long or third and long.

5) Do Not Let Juju Smith-Schuster Beat You


Smith-Schuster is clearly best offensive weapon on the Steelers and they move him around a lot. He plays well both outside and in the slot. In the slot is where the 49ers should be most concerned as he has caught 11 passes for 162 yards there. It will be important for either K'Waun Williams or possibly Jason Verrett to not allow big plays from the slot. Williams has struggled there, so it will be interesting to see how the 49ers defend the slot and possibly give Williams some help.

Prediction


The 49ers pass rush should make things uncomfortable for Mason Rudolph and the offense should be able to do its thing against the Steelers, who are reeling.

Expect the crowd to be loud and the defense to be stout against James Conner and Rudolph, keeping the Steelers' offense on the bench.

The 49ers have a big chance here and it's a good bet the coaching staff will be ready to ensure a victory heading into the bye.

49ers 27, Steelers 13
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.


0 Comments

  • No Comments

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



49ers' 5 Keys to Victory Against the Rams

By Wayne P. Brown
Sep 16

The 49ers head to Southern California to face the first-place (tie) Los Angeles Rams in a week two division rival match-up. What will the 49ers have to do to claim sole possession of first place in the NFC West? Below are the keys to victory. Take away the Explosive Plays Quarterback Matthew Stafford will look to get the ball downfield. In Week 1 against the Seahawks, Stafford went 24-38 passing for 340 yards with five big-time throws down the field. The 49ers defense wants to keep everything in front of them. If the secondary doesn't get beat deep, the Rams may have



49ers' 5 Keys to Victory Against the Giants

By Wayne P. Brown
Sep 21

The San Francisco 49ers head home to host the New York Giants in their season home opener on Thursday Night Football. After a hard fight in LA, the 49ers look to continue their streak to a 3-0 record. Here are the keys to another 49ers victory. Stop the Run The 49ers are tied for third against the run, allowing 65 yards per game. With Saquon Barkley's (ankle injury) officially ruled out, the 49ers must prepare for Matt Breida and quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones has 102 rushing yards



Recap: 49ers fight off Rams for 30-23 road victory

By Kirk Larrabee
Sep 17

The San Francisco 49ers continued their winning ways over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, riding a 13-6 edge in the second half to a 30-23 win at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The win was the ninth consecutive regular season victory over the Rams for the 49ers, who moved to 2-0 on the season. Quarterback Brock Purdy finished with 206 yards on



Recap: 49ers dominate Giants in 30-12 Thursday night victory

By Kirk Larrabee
Sep 21

The San Francisco 49ers were expected to take care of business handily Thursday night against a New York Giants team that was without injured running back Saquon Barkley, and they didn't disappoint, outgaining the Giants 441 to 150 in a 30-12 victory. The 49ers totaled 26 first downs in the game to just 10 from the Giants and held possession for over 38


Featured

More by Matt Andruscavage

More Articles

Share 49ersWebzone