Game grades from 49ers Week 1 domination over Steelers

The 49ers took care of business and then some, opening up their 2023 season with a 30-7 win over the Steelers. Niner Noise hands out grades from the contest.

With the start of a new NFL season comes all the uncertainty of what it will entail, and that was true even for a team as talented as the San Francisco 49ers are.

Week 1 is an especially weird time, and even though the Niners were slight favorites heading into Pittsburgh, many national pundits predicted a Steelers victory.

Well, San Franciso answered almost all the questions asked of them, racing out to a 20-0 lead before halftime and eventually finishing the game with a 30-7 victory. The 49ers defense held the Steelers without a first down until the final two minutes of the first half. The Steelers finished that half with a long touchdown run, but the Niners responded with a quick strike touchdown courtesy of Christian McCaffrey.

From there, it was just running out the clock.

Perhaps most promising for the Niners, they did not play a perfect game. Some offensive inconsistencies, poor blocking at times, penalties, and a couple of defensive possessions where everything seemed to go wrong. All of that flared up, yet San Francisco dominated. It is a hallmark of a good team to win well even when everything is not perfect.

With a new season also comes new grades. So let's take a look at how to grade the 49ers' performance.