On the first day of the 2023 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers have made a major statement that they’re one of the league’s elite teams.
San Francisco went to Pittsburgh and put together a dominant win, jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, making it 20-0 in the second quarter, and ultimately winning 30-7.
All the usual suspects were efficient for the 49ers’ offense: Brock Purdy shook off his elbow injury and was cool and efficient, with two touchdown passes and no interceptions. Christian McCaffrey topped 150 rushing yards and Brandon Aiyuk topped 100 receiving yards. Deebo Samuel caught five passes and also ran the ball a couple fo times. George Kittle was mostly quiet but did have a big first down on an early fourth-and-1 conversion.
Rookie kicker Jake Moody was perfect for the 49ers, a big relief after there were plenty of kicking concerns in the offseason. Nick Bosa, back from his holdout, didn’t do a lot, but the 49ers didn’t need him to.
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett struggled, and the Steelers lost their best receiver, Diontae Johnson, to a hamstring injury. Najee Harris struggled early, and by the time he started getting going, the Steelers were way behind and were passing on almost every play.
The 49ers were expected to be Super Bowl contenders, and everything we saw today justifies that. San Francisco may have the best team in the NFL.
