The San Francisco 49ers are opening up their 2023 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Week one is finally here. After a devastating loss in the NFC Championship Game last season, the 49ers are back with a chip on their shoulder. There is a lot of excitement after a drama-filled offseason. Here is everything to watch for this weekend for the San Francisco 49ers.
Nick Bosa is Back
Breaking news out of the NFL on Wednesday as it was announced that Nick Bosa has signed his contract extension. He signed a five-year deal worth $170 million. He is officially the highest-paid defensive player in the league. More on the deal can be read here, but for now, how does this affect Sunday’s game?
What all 49ers fans will love to hear is that Bosa will play against the Steelers now that the deal is signed. He most likely will not be in it as much as he normally is, but the star defensive end will be in the game. He will still be in the rotation, which will help the defense big-time against the Steelers.
49ers LB Fred Warner (54) – Josie Lepe/Associated Press
Overall Defense: The Old and the New
With Bosa back, this week will be a sneak peek of the starting defensive line for the San Francisco 49ers. Aside from Bosa, the team will have Arik Armstead, Javon Hargrave, and Drake Jackson. Hargrave is the newest addition to the team after being a big pick-up in free agency. He is meant to be this big boost to the middle of the line, and it will be the first game seeing him with this team when it matters. It will be difficult for the Steelers to run down the middle with both Armstead and Hargrave there.
Jackson is the youngest on the line but has such a high ceiling. This is going to be his moment to show what he can do following all the work he put in during the offseason. With the other three there, Jackson could be the 49ers’ underrated threat on the line.
Also new to this defense is their defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks. This will be the first game where he is with the full starting defense. The past two coordinators had a history of coaching linebackers, but Wilks has a history with the defensive backs. This can bring a new perspective to a dominating team that finally has solid players at defensive back. He also was not an in-house hire, which could affect week one. No matter what, it will be interesting to see how the defense is different from last season, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
49ers fans should also monitor the status of safety Talanoa Hufanga. A couple of weeks ago, it was released that Hufanga was dealing with a Bakers Cyst. He is back at practice and has said he is doing well, but how he plays will definitely be watched.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel (19) – Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Brock Purdy‘s First Full Game Back
It is time for quarterback Brock Purdy’s first full game since he faced a UCL injury in the NFC Championship game. The fans and the team got to see him play for a couple of drives in the preseason. He did not look as though the injury would be holding him back this season, which is great news. All eyes will be on him this weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The first goal will be that he makes it out of the game healthy, of course. Something else to watch for will be the decision-making. If an interception is thrown, everyone will need to look at whether it was a poor choice or just good defense. The Steelers have a solid defense, and Purdy will need to work around that. Then how will he bounce back from his mistakes? If there is one thing that was shown last season, it is that Purdy is a tough player. If he does make a mistake, he should be just fine.
49ers QB Brock Purdy (13) – Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers Kicker Situation
Probably the most annoying yet important thing to watch for this weekend is the kicker situation. Jake Moody will be back as the San Francisco 49ers kicker this weekend. According to Kyle Shanahan, he has been looking better in practices after facing an injury that held him out of the final preseason game. If the 49ers lose by a field goal this weekend, it is going to be a bad look. A team with Super Bowl aspirations cannot be held back like this.
Moody played for the Michigan Wolverines in college and played well. He knows what it is like to play in a big stadium and in a hostile environment. He just needs to step up this week and prove every doubter wrong.
The San Francisco 49ers will face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend at 1 pm Eastern. Now that the offseason drama is done, it is time to focus on what matters the most: the regular season.
