Steelers' Kenny Pickett, OC Canada Ripped by Fans After Blowout Loss to 49ers
September 10, 2023
In the battle of second-year quarterbacks, Brock Purdy reigned supreme over Kenny Pickett on Sunday, and it wasn't particularly close.
The San Francisco 49ers' signal-caller threw for 220 yards and two scores, leading his team to a 30-7 blowout win over Pickett the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While Purdy thrived, Pickett and the Pittsburgh offense labored. Actually, that might be an understatement. The Steelers' quarterback threw for 232 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while being sacked five times.
So poor was the unit on the day that it took the Steelers' offense until nearly the final minute of the first half to even get a first down.
Pittsburgh's offense mustered just 239 yards from scrimmage. They only ran for 41 yards. They didn't so much manage a first down until their sixth drive. They reached the red zone twice in total, and had a turnover on downs on the second such drive after an incompletion on a 4th-and-4 attempt.
It was rough, and NFL fans on social media didn't hold back on the malaise they were forced to endure from Pickett, offensive coordinator Matt Canada and the offense on the whole:
But hey, at least T.J. Watt was on one:
So there was that. A small consolation in Pittsburgh, but it was something.
Purdy and the Niners, meanwhile, looked 100 percent like the trendy Super Bowl pick they were over the summer. The former Iowa quarterback impressed, though some of the reaction to his performance might have gone a bit far:
Purdy wasn't perfect on the day, taking three sacks and losing a fumble. But he was very clearly the best quarterback on the field, and more than justified his place as San Fran's starter (and further justified Trey Lance's trade to Dallas).
While the Niners look to be on track as contenders, the Steelers have plenty of work to do on the offensive side of the ball. Granted, starting the season against San Francisco's excellent defense is no easy task. Offenses tend to take a bit longer than defenses rounding into form to start the season, and a stout defense can further jam up the works.
But Sunday was ugly with a capital "U" for Picket and the Steelers. It was the sort of game the entire Steel City will try to erase from its collective memory, and quickly.