49ers Week 1 Preview

Week 1 of 49ers Football is finally here, and life doesn’t get any better! Not going to lie this is a brutal Week 1 matchup. We're up against a great coach, on the road, a talented roster, and a top 5 defense. Luckily for us, we have a better coach, better roster, and tougher defense.

Keys to victory on offense: Purdy do Purdy things. Hit on the short passes and let the YAC monsters get into space. While Pittsburg's pass rush and safeties are great, I think corner is their weakness. Let Aiyuk and Deebo run wild. No turnovers. This one is key; I don’t see us winning if we have multiple turnovers, the Steelers are simply too well-coached. Don’t be surprised if we don’t get a big running game from McCaffrey – I’d love that as I have him in fantasy – but the Steeler's run defense is excellent. I expect him to be a big factor in the passing game and get his first TD of the year.

Keys to victory on Defense: Make Pickett sweat. I hope new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks blitzes constantly. The 49ers were 20th in blitz rate last year at 22.8%. Wilks has consistently been in the top 5 in blitz rate as a DC and the 49ers’ secondary can handle lining up man-to-man. I expect 2-3 turnovers forced by the defense. And I guarantee a sack by none other than Nick BOOOOOOSSSSSSAAAAAAAA.

Game Prediction: a close one. 23-17.