The 49ers shut down the doubt very quickly.
With some in the media and fans alike predicting a big showing by the Pittsburgh Steelers against the 49ers, San Francisco methodically dismantled Pittsburgh in a 30-7 drubbing in a contest that was never close.
So much emphasis was put on quarterback Kenny Picket and the Steeler's pre-season games that people forgot that they don't count. Picket and the Steelers looked good then but they were playing the 49ers when it counted and they might be the best team in the NFL.
What was surprising from the start was that there were a lot of 49ers fans in the stands, and the team gave them lots to cheer about. From the beginning, Brock Purdy looked sharp and the 49ers scored 17 points in their first 3 drives. On the other side of the ball, Pickett struggled as the 49ers got good pressure on him. Even when they didn't he struggled with accuracy. Pickett ended the game 31-46 with 232 yards, 1 TD, and 2 interceptions. He did lead a final drive at the end of the first half to make the score closer at 20-7. It gave Pittsburgh some life but the Steelers' offense had not been on the 49er's end of the field until 1 minute left in the half. At that time the 49ers had 199 yards of total offense to the Steelers 1.
The 49ers took the wind out of the stadium to start the second half as Christian McCaffrey ran 65 yards on the second play from scrimmage. Brandon Aiyuk had a huge day catching 8 passes for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had a crushing block on McCaffrey's touchdown run along with Ray-Ray McCloud III.
The 49ers had a balanced attack with 188 yards rushing and 220 yards passing from Brock Purdy who went 19-29 with 2 TD's and no interceptions. The 49er's defense was dominant as the Steelers had to abandon the run and they only got 41 yards on the ground in 10 carries.
Pittsburgh will host the Browns on Monday night football and the 49ers will fly down south and play their rival, the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday. The Rams are coming off an excellent win in Seattle.
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