49ers Week 3 preview vs. Steelers: 3-0 a real possibility
By Peter Panacy
Week 3 by the Numbers
San Francisco’s dominant 41-17 Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals has put Kyle Shanahan’s squad into third place among all scoring offenses through two weeks.
And the Niners’ plus-19 scoring differential on the year ranks third, too. First, among all teams not having played the lowly Miami Dolphins this season.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh enters Week 3 with the league’s fourth worst scoring offense, largely predicated by the mere three points scored against the New England Patriots back on Sunday Night Football in Week 1.
The Steelers’ scoring differential, meanwhile, is minus-16 — 30th in the NFL.
Through two weeks, there is a wide difference in a number of categories for both squads.
San Francisco 49ers
Offensive Rankings
- San Francisco
- Points scored: 72 (third)
- Total yards: 827 (seventh)
- Rush yards: 357 (fourth)
- Pass yards: 470 (19th)
- Average yards per play: 6.5 (fifth)
- Pittsburgh
- Points scored: 29 (29th)
- Total yards: 569 (28th)
- Rush yards: 113 (29th)
- Pass yards: 456 (20th)
- Average yards per play: 5.1 (25th)
Defensive Rankings
- San Francisco
- Points allowed: 34 (seventh)
- Yards allowed: 611 (ninth)
- Rush yards against: 146 (eighth)
- Pass yards against: 465 (14th)
- Yards per play allowed: 4.7 (sixth)
- Pittsburgh
- Points allowed: 61 (28th)
- Yards allowed: 890 (29th)
- Rush yards against: 250 (23rd)
- Pass yards against: 640 (29th)
- Yards per play allowed: 6.4 (25th)
The Niners had to rely primarily on their defense in Week 1, while the offense and the running game got going in Cincinnati. The Steelers, meanwhile, staged something of a valiant effort in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, only to fall short 28-26.
Yet Pittsburgh’s quarterback, Mason Rudolph, managed to impress enough to be something of a concern for the 49ers in Week 3.
How about those signal-callers?