Team Grades: 49ers Get Walloped In Pittsburgh On Both Sides Of The Ball
By Sam McPherson
Consider the Week 1 victory for the San Francisco 49ers officially a fluke. After Sunday's ugly loss on the road to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it's clear we have no idea what these 49ers are right now. When you lose by 25 points on the road in a game that wasn't even as close as the score indicated, it's time to re-examine everything we thought we knew about San Francisco's football team.
Pittsburgh's 43-18 victory included a 29-3 halftime lead that held into the fourth quarter, when the S.F. offense finally scored some meaningless touchdowns. It was that kind of day for the 49ers, and while the offense finally got a passing game going, it was mostly in "garbage time" with the game long out of reach. Overall, it just wasn't a good day for the team, in general, as San Francisco falls to 1-1 on the season.
Offense: C-
The offense gained 409 yards, but again, the 49ers were behind, 29-3, at halftime. How many of those yards came in the fourth quarter when the team finally found the end zone? San Francisco only fumbled the ball once, and quarterback Colin Kaepernick didn't throw an interception. The team went 7-for-17, however, on third-down conversions and generally couldn't do much against the Steelers defense until it didn't matter. The overall numbers, in this case, lie.
Kaep threw for 335 yards on 33-for-46 passing with two TDs. He also ran for 51 yards. Meanwhile, running back Carlos Hyde became a non-factor once the team fell behind so badly. He had 43 yards rushing and four receptions, too, but Hyde wasn't the force he was in Week 1. Wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith both caught TDs, but they were late plays that made no difference in the outcome of the game.
Defense: F
One week after being so stellar, the 49ers defense took a snoozer in the first half Sunday, allowing Ben Roethlisberger to decimate them easily. The Steelers gained 453 yards total, and Big Ben threw for 369 of those. Meanwhile, running back DeAngelo Williams ran for three TDs. When you consider Pittsburgh had the ball for only 23:01 in this game, you can see how easily they sliced up the San Francisco defense for 43 points.
Steelers WR Antonio Brown alone had 195 yards, exposing the weakness of the 49ers secondary and cornerbacks. This will now be a blueprint for every other team on the S.F. schedule, although Brown may be the best WR in the league. Not every team has one of those guys on its roster.
Special Teams: B+
Nothing much to report here, as Phil Dawson made both his kicks. The kick coverage teams were good. The 49ers could benefit from some better kick/punt returning themselves, as their averages today were sub-par: less than 20 yards per kickoff return and less than six yards per punt return. With all the scoring the Steelers did, you'd think San Francisco could have gotten at least one nice long return in the exchange—but, no.
Coaching: D
One week after having his team perform at a high level, head coach Jim Tomsula and his staff laid an egg in this one. The defense had no answer for the Pittsburgh offense, from the start of the game to the end: The Steelers were scoring TDs still in the fourth quarter. If the NFL is a game of adjustments, the 49ers defensive coaches didn't adjust to much. The offense eventually took what they were given, considering the 26-point halftime deficit it faced. If San Francisco won on emotion in Week 1, they had none of the same magic going in Week 2.
Will The Real 49ers Stand Up In Week 3?
That may not be a fair question for San Francisco, as they have to travel to 2-0 Arizona next week. The Cardinals are as good as it gets in the NFC this season, especially with a healthy Carson Palmer at QB. Arizona's defense isn't bad, either, and their coach—Bruce Arians—is one of the best in the game. Going on the road to face this team in the Southwest afternoon heat will not be fun for the 49ers, especially if they play this way again.
Sam McPherson is a freelance writer covering baseball, football, basketball, golf, hockey and fantasy sports for CBS, AXS and Examiner. He also is an Ironman triathlete and certified triathlon coach.