Bold Predictions for Steelers' Week 1 Matchup vs. Christian McCaffrey, 49ers
The Pittsburgh Steelers open the 2023 NFL regular season with one of the toughest matchups in the league against the San Francisco 49ers.
Mike Tomlin's team does have the benefit of playing Sunday's contest at home, and it may help it that Brock Purdy will be making his first start since the elbow injury he suffered in the NFC Championship Game.
Even if Purdy is not at his best, the Steelers still have to deal with Christian McCaffrey in both facets of the offense.
T.J. Watt and the Steelers defense need to find a way to contain McCaffrey, whether it is loading the box to stop the run or smothering him out of the backfield, to put Kenny Pickett and Co. in a good spot to win the game.
Pickett comes into his second season with an improved set of offensive weapons. The additions of Allen Robinson and Darnell Washington could help the Steelers move the ball with ease against the reigning NFC West champion.
Steelers Contain Christian McCaffrey
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McCaffrey has had mixed results in season openers during his NFL career.
The 49ers running back was held to 50 rushing yards or fewer in three of his six Week 1 games. He was held under 50 receiving yards in each of those three contests as well.
San Francisco is expected to use McCaffrey at a high volume on Sunday because of Purdy's path back to 100 percent.
The NFC West side may be willing to attack the Pittsburgh front seven with its best offensive player instead of letting Purdy beat the Steelers with 30-plus throws.
The Steelers can commit numbers into the box because of Purdy's recovering elbow and the health of George Kittle.
Kittle is listed as questionable with a groin injury, and if he does not play, the Steelers could take advantage of his blocking absence.
McCaffrey is still capable of breaking one or two big runs, but the Steelers can crowd him in the trenches and smother him in the passing game to make Purdy and a potentially Kittle-less offense beat them.
Darnell Washington Makes Instant Impact
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Washington is taller and wider than all of the 49ers linebackers and defensive backs.
Pittsburgh should use that to its advantage as it tries to pull off the Week 1 upset.
The rookie out of Georgia will probably be utilized most in the red zone as a massive target for Pickett to work with.
The Steelers can also use the 6'7", 264-pound tight end across the middle in short passing situations to get a rhythm going on drives.
The 49ers can't commit multiple bodies to Washington on every play because they have to worry about Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth and Robinson.
Pittsburgh's improved pass-catching depth should allow one or two players to have big games each week as long as Pickett is upright. The second-year quarterback may not have to face Nick Bosa, who as of Wednesday morning, has not signed a new contract with the 49ers.
Najee Harris Takes Majority of Running Back Workload
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Much has been made about the Steelers' running back situation in preseason.
Najee Harris is the incumbent starter, but Jaylen Warren's improvement has been noted and some are expecting more of a split workload.
That may not be the case in Week 1 with a fresh Harris going up against one of the toughest defenses in the NFL.
Harris is used to tough opening contests. He was held under 50 rushing yards in his two NFL openers against the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, both games occurred on the road.
Harris could be motivated by all the talk around Warren and the chance to finally go off in a Week 1 game.
The third-year player only has two touchdowns and a single rushing performance over 70 yards in the first four weeks of a season.
He could reverse all of those trends with a strong outing that asserts him as the clear No. 1 running back in the offense.
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