The Pittsburgh Steelers starters played five drives in the preseason. Every one of those drives ended in a touchdown. And almost all of them were in a dynamic fashion. The only question is whether or not we will see that type of offense on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
On the other side, the Niners have one of the stoutest defenses in the NFL. When the Steelers offense and Niners defense square off, something has to give. Here’s what we expect to see when Pittsburgh has the football.
A more balanced attack in the begining
The Steelers can’t afford to just throw Kenny Pickett to the Niners pass rush. The offensive line is improved and Pittsburgh has an excellent tandem of backs. Look for a more conservative, balanced approach early in the game to try to establish some momentum.
George Pickens unleashed
Last season everyone got a taste of what wide receiver George Pickens could do and this season we expect to see Pickens be THE target for Pickett downfield.
Moving Pickett around
The mobility of Pickett is perhaps his most underrated skill. We look for lots of bootlegs and moving pockets to keep the Niners pass rush honest and give Pickett opportunities to make plays.
Attack the middle of the field
Pittsburgh has become fearless about going after the field between the hashes and guys like tight end Pat Freiermuth and wide receiver Allen Robinson II are the guys to watch and maybe even rookie tight end Darnell Washington could see some targets.
