Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Francisco 49ers: 5 Players To Watch on Monday Night

The playoffs unofficially begin this Monday when the Pittsburgh Steelers travel west to face the San Francisco 49ers on prime time. 

At 10-3, the Steelers are not only trying to win their division, but are vying for the top seed in the AFC (four teams, including their division rival Baltimore Ravens, share a 10-3 record). Pittsburgh must win the rest of their games if they want to secure a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The 10-3 49ers have already won their division, but still need to beat out the New Orleans Saints for the second seed in the NFC. They too are in a situation where they need to win the remainder of their games to secure a first-round bye.  

These two teams are almost identical if not for one position: quarterback. Alex Smith is having his best season as a pro, yet the 49ers offense has yet to take off. 

On the other hand, Ben Roethlisberger has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league for the last eight years. Something that makes Roethlisberger special is his ability to play while injured. He is facing another test this week with a sprained ankle.

Given his history, Roethlisberger will likely make the start.

This promises to be a low scoring, defensive game. As long as Roethlisberger is able to play four quarters of football, the Steelers should pull through with the victory. 

The following 49ers must step up on Monday Night if San Francisco is to prove me wrong.

Anthony Davis

The 49ers offensive line is San Francisco's biggest liability. All season they have struggled to protect the quarterback allowing the eighth-most sacks in the league. To make it worse, they have been struggling to open up running lanes for Frank Gore.

Second year right tackle Anthony Davis seemed to be improving after a shaky rookie season. Every now and then he flashes potential, but there are other times when he seems confused on who he should be blocking.

Enter the Pittsburgh Steelers—who do nothing but blitz. Even without James Harrison (who is suspended for this game), Davis and the 49ers' offensive line is going to be under pressure.

Davis, a first-round pick, needs to begin proving that he can consistently play at a high level. Against the Steelers, he will have the opportunity to show the entire nation that he has the potential to be one of the bookends of the 49ers' offensive line for years to come.

However, if he moves before the snap on one play and then whiffs on a block the next, he might be on the fast track to bust land.

Aldon Smith

With three games left, Aldon Smith is four sacks away from tying Jevon Kearse for the most sacks by a rookie (14.5). Most seasons he would be a lock for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but Von Miller of the Denver Broncos is making that difficult. A strong performance on Monday Night Football could catapult Smith ahead of Miller for the award.

The 49ers' defense must get pressure on Big Ben if they want to stymie the Pittsburgh offense.

San Francisco's defensive line (Justin Smith, Isaac Sopoaga and Ray McDonald) are impenetrable against the run and get pressure on the quarterback, but are not known for getting many sacks. The addition of Aldon Smith has finally given the 49ers' defense the natural pass rusher they have always lacked.

Roethlisberger is one of the best quarterbacks in the league when it comes to dealing with pressure. He has the canny ability to toss defenders aside and buy time for his receivers. When Aldon Smith finds himself in the backfield, he must find a way to bring Roethlisberger down. 

The 49ers offense will not be able to put up many points against Pittsburgh. The Steelers will not be able to run the ball against the 49ers.

If Smith is able to put consistent pressure on Roethlisberger, San Francisco will be able to pull off the upset and Smith just might become the front runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Kyle Williams

Injuries to Josh Morgan and Braylon Edwards has resulted in the 49ers using receivers Ted Ginn and Kyle Williams more often.

Ginn has been superb in the return game, but drops have plagued him as a receiver. Due to injuries and Ginn's inconsistent play, second-year receiver Williams has begun to see more action. 

He, like Ginn, is small and speedy. Williams biggest highlight of the year was when he caught a slant and burned the Ram's defense for a 56-yard touchdown. 

With the defense keying on Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis in the passing game, Williams will have plenty of one-on-one opportunities. It is crucial that he is able to turn these matchups into big plays, especially when the Steelers are blitzing. 

Dashon Goldson

Dashon Goldson is an unheralded star on the 49ers' defense. Appropriately nicknamed The Hawk, he has accumulated five interceptions in the last seven games. He is also the biggest hitter on the team after Patrick Willis. 

Goldson has the uncanny ability to get to the ball quickly, which is typically a good thing, but there are times when he either overruns a play or goes for the ball when he should just make the tackle.

This was never more evident than last week when Goldson tried to intercept a pass thrown to Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was able to out position Goldson and turn his mistake into a touchdown.

Goldson will have to be careful not to make the same error against the speedy Pittsburgh receivers. He must stay deep in order to make sure that nobody gets past him when Roethlisberger is extending the play with his feet. 

Expect to see Goldson, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, flying around the field all game. 

Alex Smith

Alex Smith will always have his doubters. He can get rid of a few by having a good game on Monday Night Football. 

This is more wishful thinking than anything else.

Smith has had his ups and downs this season. His downs have come against teams that show exotic blitzes (Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals). Even though Smith has improved his play this year, he still seems uneasy in the pocket when the pressure is on.

To be successful against the Steelers, the offensive line must give Smith time to throw. The receivers will be running short routes so that they can get open before the defenders are getting into the backfield. Smith must make the correct reads and then get the ball out before the pressure arrives. 

If Smith can get rid of the ball quickly and limit turnovers, the 49ers offense will be able to move the ball.

The next question is whether they can translate good drives into touchdowns. Lately San Francisco has been struggling to score touchdowns in the red zone. Settling for field goals could cost the 49ers in what is promised to be a low scoring game. Smith needs to jump start the offense in the red zone against the Steelers. 

San Francisco's defense is well equipped to keep the team in the game, whether or not Smith can get the ball moving on the offensive side will determine who wins this one.