NFL Game of the Week: San Francisco 49ers vs. PIttsburgh Steelers

It is officially that time of year. The NFL is back.

Week one is full of matchups that no football fan would want to miss and we’ve got a good one to talk about.

On Sunday at 1 p.m., the San Francisco 49ers are taking a trip to Pennsylvania to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 49ers may be favored to win but fans are forgetting about Mike Tomlin’s new additions who just might have what it takes to make the difference.

The Steelers drafted rookie Darnell Washington in the third round of the NFL draft this year. He is a tight end from the University of Georgia and is expected to be a solid addition to the Steelers offense.

In April, the Steelers traded for Rams’ wide receiver, Allen Robinson, who has already seemed to have made an impact on and off the field.

According to teammate and fellow wide receiver Dionate Johnson, they are feeding off of each other very well and getting creative with new plays.

Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett, didn’t exactly have as good of a rookie season as 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy but with his new weapons and home-field advantage he should be feeling more confident.

Although the Steelers have some new weapons they have a few current who will be huge difference-makers on Sunday.

George Pickens, Pat Friermuth and Johnson are also key factors to the Steelers offense.

Pickens was a rookie last year and gave fans something to talk about with some unbelievable one-hand-grabs.

As far as the running game, Najee Harris has been named the starter but is expected to split some of the workload with Jaylen Warren as his improvement has been noted.

But going against one of the best defenses in the league won’t be easy for either running back especially considering the 49ers have the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year on their side.

Along with the Steelers offense, the black and gold's defense is also healthy and good to go for Sunday.

T.J. Watt and the defense’s biggest concern is 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey who has become a deadly weapon for the 49ers offense.

There is no doubt that the 49ers have a stacked offense.

Mr. Irrelevant is officially relevant as Brock Purdy was named the 49ers' starting quarterback.

After leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship game last season, there is no doubt that Purdy is more than deserving of this title.

Purdy, a rookie last year, wasn’t even expected to see the field last season but fans are excited to see more of what Purdy has to offer now that he is leading the charge.

Unfortunately, tight end George Kittle was deemed questionable as of Friday’s injury report.

​​Charlie Woerner, Ross Dwelley and seventh-round pick Brayden Willis are the other tight ends on the roster for the Niners so we are eager to see how they will step up to the plate if Kittle is ruled out.

But lucky for the 49ers, wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud is cleared to play. The former Steelers player is ready to make a difference for this San Francisco offense.

Along with McCloud, the 49ers are looking to utilize wide receiver Deebo Samuel. He is expected to be the go-to guy this season as Kyle Shanahan has pointed out his dedication this off-season and has named him a team captain.

The Niners' defense is in great shape as news struck on Wednesday that defensive end Nick Bosa signed a five-year, $170 million contract making him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.

Fans were buzzing all week wondering if Bosa was going to be back in action for the Niners, and indeed he is.

Unfortunately, 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward is also questionable due to a heel injury, which could be a huge advantage to the Steelers if he is not cleared.

However, the rest of their defense is good to go as of Friday as many were also questionable.

All in all, the Steelers and 49ers have looked talentful this pre-season and the determination and confidence from both coaches and players is more than prominent.

Both of these teams have a lot of young players who have either proved what they are capable of or are ready to.

Prepare for this game to be an epic showdown as this one could truly go either way.

If you weren’t already excited that football is back, you definitely will be after this game.

Gia Sabatino is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email gms6168@psu.edu