49ers Dominate Steelers 30 - 7 in Week 1 Win
San Francisco started their quest for a 6th Lombardi Trophy with a resounding victory on the East Coast this past Sunday. Despite a gaudy score there are still plenty of areas to clean up.
49ers at Steelers projected to be one the better matchups on opening weekend of the NFL with a closing line of SF -2. It was a game that featured a Steelers team that finished the 2022 season red hot and was fresh off a great preseason, taking on the 49ers, a team coming off an NFC Championship appearance making it a highly anticipated game. Unfortunately for neutral viewers and Steelers fans alike it was over pretty quickly, with the 49ers coasting to a 30-7 victory in which they outgained Pittsburgh 391 to 239 in a contest that was never very close.
The offense established its’ bread and butter, the run game, a staple under HC Kyle Shanahan, right from the jump. Their 188 yards on the ground and 5.5 YPC ranked 3rd in the NFL on the week and common advanced metrics, EPA/R and Rushing DVOA, had them at 5th and 8th respectively.
It all started up front where a relatively unheralded unit outside of future HOF LT Trent Williams held their own versus a talented Steelers front. The clip below shows a nice microcosm of the game where RG Aaron Banks (#65) turns the 3T away from the hole, while C Jake Brendel (#64) doubles up to the linebacker at the second level in order to seal off a running lane for star RB Christian McCaffery (#23), who uses good patience and eye manipulation to set up his blocks and rip off a chunk run.
It wasn’t just the Offensive Line who showed out as run blockers on Sunday but the WR’s as well. On the second play of the 2nd Half McCaffery took a 65 yard carry to the house that essentially slammed the door shut on any Steelers comeback. It was a play that not only featured some nice second level blocking again by Brendel and RG Spencer Burford but dominant downfield blocking by WRs Brandon Aiyuk (#11) and Ray Ray McCloud (#3) to secure the score.
The phrase “no block, no rock” clearly resonates with this 49ers WR core, and no one encapsulates that more than Aiyuk who blocked his ass off all day and was rewarded with a team high 8 targets in the passing game. Aiyuk was able to haul in all 8 of his targets for 129 yards and 2 scores on the day. He showed separation quickness at all three levels, as seen in the clip below, as well as some run after the catch ability, establishing himself as 2nd year QB Brock Purdy’s (#13) favorite target.
Speaking of Brock Purdy, he was another member of the 49ers offense who had a great day. Statistically Purdy did not have the most spectacular line of his career in a game that was out of reach fairly early, ending up with only 220 yards through the air on 19 completions, but he showed the same composure and ability to keep the offense running in an efficient manner as he did during the final 6 games of the 2022 season. Purdy may not be the “homerun” player the 49ers Front Office was looking for when they traded up for former QB Trey Lance but his ability to hit “doubles” has opened up this offense in new ways, especially to the benefit of Brandon Aiyuk. His 2nd Quarter TD pass to Aiyuk is a great example, it’s not a fancy design or crazy play by Purdy but the trust and ability to throw a far sideline back shoulder fade from the high red zone, or really anything outside the numbers, is an element that has been missing from this offense in years past.
It a good throw but nothing elite or highlight worthy, the significance to it is it shows a willingness and confidence to give his guy a chance. Another extra layer Purdy adds to the offense manifests in his ability to create and makes plays out of structure. Purdy isn’t on the same level as a playmaker as top QBs such as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Trevor Lawrence, but his confidence to let 50/50 balls rip, which are more like 60/40 balls with the 49ers playmakers, and his ability to extend plays have added another layer to an already potent offense.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the 49ers Offense on Sunday. The Offensive Line struggled to consistently pass protect, particularly the right side. 2nd year RG Spencer Burford gave up 4 Pressures on 34 Pass Blocking Snaps and new RT Colton McKivitz (#68) allowed 5 Pressures and 3 Sacks on the same amount of snaps. In the clip below you can see an example of the entire right side of the line getting walked into Purdy’s lap, forcing an incompletion.
McKivitz in particular had a very difficult time with former DPOY TJ Watt (#90), who had 3 Sacks and 2 Forced Fumbles including the strip sack below where he wins immediately on a speed rush, stalling a drive in the Red Zone.
Now the Steelers have a great defensive line and the Burford/McKivitz duo will not have to face a TJ Watt every week. The play calling and offensive structure will help hide their deficiencies over the course of the season. However, for a team with Super Bowl aspirations their pass protection issues in general, but particularly on the right side are something that won’t matter until it’s most important. Both are young players who have the opportunity to grow but it is something to monitor as Aaron Donald and company are next up in Week 2.
The Defensive side of the ball was somehow even better than the Offense. The Steelers offense only had 239 total yards, were sacked 5 times on 29!!! Pressures and were turned over twice. The SF defense ranked Top 5 in both EPA/P and DVOA on the week, picking up right where they left off last year.
Their returning stars were at the forefront of that and put up a collection of stellar stat lines:
EDGE Nick Bosa (#99): 35 Snaps, 4 Pressures, 25.9% Win Rate, 1 Run Stops
IDL Arik Armstead (#91): 41 Snaps, 5 Pressures, 21.9% Win Rate
LB Dre Greenlaw (#57): 61 Snaps, 5 TKL, 4 Run Stops
LB Fred Warner (#54): 63 Snaps, 6 TKL, 4 Run Stops,
CB Charvarius Ward (#7): 51 Snaps, 1 REC on 6 TGT, 5.6 Passer Rating when Targeted, 1 INT
However the big standouts were “new” contributors Clelin Ferrell (#94), a 2023 F/A addition, and 2022 2nd Round Pick Drake Jackson (#95) who only played 315 snaps as a rookie.
Ferrell, the veteran, had a line of 2 Pressures, 2 QB Hits and 2 Run Stops with a 16.7% Win Rate. He showed burst, length and effort in both the run game and pass game with his highlight play coming on a long arm into rip move for a QB hit near the goal line.
Drake Jackson stole the show however, with 5 Pressures and 3 Sacks on a 24% Win Rate. For a player with only 16 Pressures and 4 Sacks all of last year, it was an excellent start to the 2023 season. Jackson showed not only tremendous athletic ability and an improved pass rush arsenal but very good effort and mental processing, all of which showed up on this sack to track down the scrambling QB in the first half.
Not every week will go as smoothly as Week 1 did for the 49ers but for a notoriously slow starting team to go to the East Coast and take down a potential AFC playoff team in the fashion they did is exactly the start a franchise looking for its 6th Super Bowl wants to see. Next up is a trip to a familiar foe, division rivals the LA Rams, a team also feeling great, fresh off an upset win in Seattle.