What We Saw: Week 3

San Francisco 49ers vs Pittsburgh Steelers

 

San Francisco 49ers

 

Quarterbacks

 

• Jimmy Garoppolo: 23/32, 277 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT

 

The 49ers saw another up-and-down performance from Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers’ offense was a ‘turnover party’ in the first half, even though Garoppolo wasn’t responsible for most of the turnovers. The sixth-year quarterback did struggle early in the game, but once again showed good signals connecting throws with different receivers and leading his team to a bounce-back victory. In the second half of the game, Garoppolo stepped up taking care of the ball and being more comfortable in medium-, long-range attempts.

 

Running Backs

 

• Matt Breida: 14 carries, 68 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 20 yards
• Raheem Mostert: 12 carries, 79 yards | 1 target
• Jeff Wilson Jr.: 8 carries, 18 yards, 2 TD | 1 target
• Kyle Juszczyk (FB): 3 targets, 3 receptions, 51 yards

 

Again, the first 20 minutes of football against the Steelers were ones to forget for the 49ers, who had four turnovers in that span. Team’s rushing yards leader Raheem Mostert suffered a fumble early in the game but bounced back with a solid second half. His 6.6 yards per carry show what he can bring to the table, especially with Tevin Coleman out due to an injury. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk was a great surprise for the 49ers, especially in the passing game during the first half, collecting a game-high 27-yard catch.

 

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

 

• George Kittle: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 57 yards
• Deebo Samuel: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 44 yards
• Marquise Goodwin: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 41 yards
• Dante Pettis: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 21 yards, 1 TD
• Kendrick Bourne: 3 targets, 1 reception, 22 yards
• Richie James: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 22 yards

 

Overall, it was another expected performance from San Francisco, who is still trying to figure out who will be Garoppolo’s No. 1 WR — George Kittle was the most reliable Niner for another week. Second-round rookie Deebo Samuel was held out of the endzone this week, while Dante Pettis had his first multiple-reception game, and scored his first touchdown, in the NFL. 

Including running backs, 10 different players were targeted by Garoppolo in Week 3, with seven of them totaling at least two catches. 

 

Pittsburgh Steelers

 

Quarterbacks

 

• Mason Rudolph: 14/27, 174 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

 

Mason Rudolph couldn’t get the things going in his NFL starting debut. Rudolph displayed solid accuracy and mobility but failed to lead his offense to capitalize points and eventually to grab the win despite a huge help from his defense. Only four players from the Steelers had more than one reception, with six of them being targeted at least once. Besides that, Pittsburgh collected just 239 total yards and 11 first downs offensively. 

 

Running Backs

 

• James Conner: 13 carries, 43 yards | 5 targets, 4 receptions, 14 yards
• Benny Snell Jr.: 3 carries, 6 yards

 

The Steelers’ defense set the tone of the game in Week 3 and made up what could have been an even worse result for Pittsburgh. Averaging only 3.6 yards per carry in 22 rushing attempts, the Steelers failed to find consistency in the running game again. Despite having James Conner in the backfield, Pittsburgh hasn’t topped 100 rushing yards in a game this season thus far. Against the 49ers, Conner totaled 3.3 yards per carry–his third consecutive game below four YPC in 2019. 

 

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

 

• JuJu Smith-Schuster: 7 targets, 3 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD
• Diontae Johnson: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 52 yards, 1 TD | 1 carry, 6 yards
• James Washington: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards
• Vance McDonald: 2 targets, 1 reception, 10 yards
• Xavier Grimble: 2 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards
• Johnny Holton: 0 target | 1 carry, 9 yards

 

With the inconsistency in the quarterback and running back position, the Steelers’ wide receivers once again had a limited performance, with JuJu Smith-Schuster posting only three catches. By the way, 76 of his 81 yards came in a long reception in the first half, which shows how limited this offensive system was. 

Although Donte Moncrief was inactive for Week 3, James Washington wasn’t able to contribute with an inspiring performance for the Steelers’ receiving corps playing with former Oklahoma State teammate Rudolph. For instance, Vance McDonald, targeted seven times in two quarters with Rudolph last week, had only one catch against the 49ers. Diontae Johnson was the Steelers’ best piece of new, creating separation from the defensive backs and recording a 39-yard touchdown. 

 

— Caio Miari