There was some curiosity leading into the San Francisco 49ers' home opener of how loud the Levi's Stadium crowd would be on Sunday. Then there was some concern when droves of Pittsburgh Steelers fans were seen making their way through stadium gates. The opposing team's fans came out in full force, as expected, but left the game disappointed in the end.

Still, the majority of the fans at Levi's Stadium were cheering the home team, and those in attendance got loud, as the team requested during the week leading to the game. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh even went as far as to challenge fans to get loud on Sunday.


"Everyone talks about a home-field advantage in all sports, but football is the one that you have to communicate the most," head coach Kyle Shanahan explained on Friday. "So it's a fact on home-field advantage, O-linemen cannot hear snap counts, so D-linemen can tee off. Guys cannot hear audibles. You've got to use all the signals. People can't communicate the same."

"I think our home crowd is awesome," quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said last week as the 49ers prepared for the Steelers. "I mean, these last two games in Tampa and Cincinnati especially, it turned into a home game with all the red out there. It was fun. So yeah, I would expect a great atmosphere this Sunday, and I hope the crowd is rocking."

From the reactions of the players, it sounds like the Niner Faithful answered the challenge on Sunday.


"I really wanted the fans to be into it this game, with us being 2-0 on the road," linebacker Fred Warner said after the win. "They came through, especially in those last few seconds in that last drive. That was the loudest I ever heard it, for sure. That for sure rattled the quarterback and got us the W in the end."

Cornerback Richard Sherman noticed, too. He felt the fans' energy had a significant impact on Sunday's outcome.


"Niner Gang, we appreciate you guy," Sherman said. "We went out there and fought for you. It's not always pretty. It's not always going to be a blowout and just get to sit comfortably in your seats and drink. Sometimes, we've got to keep you on the edge of your seats. Got to keep you involved, got to keep you in the seats, you know. That's what they told us.

"But, we appreciate you guys sticking through, being loud, being proud. 3-0 for the first time since '98. Niner Gang."



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