Steelers vs. 49ers 30-7 in season opener

Coach Mike Tomlin didn't mince words in the aftermath of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 30-7 dismantling at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers.

"You can't start games 0-5 on third down and think that you're going to have the type of day that you desire," Tomlin said. "You got to win the weighty downs, and it's just more than just identifying that component, man. It was a failure on our part, in all areas. We got to coach better, we got to play better.

"... We got kicked in the teeth today in a lot of ways."

As an offense, the Steelers (0-1) converted on just 5 of 15 third downs, while the 49ers (1-0) converted on 6 of 13. The Steelers didn't even pick up a first down until less than two minutes remained in the first half. The Steelers lost the time of possession battle 37:23 to 22:37, and the lack of plays especially in the first half kept the offense from establishing any sort or rhythm or ground game.

The Steelers offense was truly woeful to the tune of 239 yards of total offense (a paltry 3.9 yards per play). Pittsburgh fell behind, 20-0, in the first half and got shut out in the second.

Just as great as Pickett and Co. looked weeks earlier, they looked unwell on Sunday.

"We didn't win enough possession downs to be competitive," Tomlin said. "You can't start games 0-5 on third down and think you're going to have the type of day that you desire. You've got to win the weighty downs."

There’s plenty to work on. Pickett completed 31 of 46 passes for 232 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. His accuracy was scattershot at best. He threaded a 3-yard touchdown to Pat Freiermuth that momentarily gave the Steelers momentum near the end of the first half. He also sailed a pair of passes that ended up in the hands of defenders with a white “SF” on their helmets.

The Steelers were never able to establish a running game of their own, picking up just 41 yards on the ground on 10 carries.

That meant the Steelers' offense went largely through Pickett, who finished with 232 passing yards but threw one touchdown against two interceptions.

"We wanted to get out fast. We didn't do that," said Pickett. "Obviously playing behind against a really good team, you're putting yourself in a hole we can't do. Moving forward, we can't allow that to happen."

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 Sarah H

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