The San Francisco 49ers had a dominating win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 49ers are officially 1-0 after their 30-7 victory over the Steelers in Pittsburgh. The team played well, but some players stood out more than others. Just because players were not listed as studs does not mean they did not have a great game. This was a big team win for the 49ers. Even the duds are difficult to decipher, but there are always players who won’t have the best game every week. Here is a look at the San Francisco 49ers’ studs and duds for their week one matchup against the Steelers.
San Francisco 49ers Slay
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (11) – Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
It was quite the game for the 49ers’ wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. Between Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle, Aiyuk tends to be underappreciated by the general NFL fanbase. Aiyuk is a strong route runner and was able to get open for quarterback Brock Purdy quite often in the game. He was targeted eight times in the game and caught the ball each time, according to ESPN. Aiyuk ended the game with 129 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
He was the only player in the game to have a receiving touchdown. With the opposing team’s defense focused on the other players, Aiyuk always has the edge. He was even able to run routes against veteran defender Patrick Peterson. This is a great start to the season for Aiyuk.
49ers DEs Nick Bosa (97) and Drake Jackson (95) – Gregory Fisher/USA TODAY Sports
Second-year defensive end Drake Jackson had himself a game against the Steelers. Jackson did not have a special rookie year, either not getting the start or being a healthy scratch. Jackson put in a ton of work in the offseason, and many were waiting to see him take the field. He may be overlooked being on the defensive line with Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, and Arik Armstead, but he stood out against the Steelers.
Jackson became a starter this year and made an impact right away. By the end of the game, Jackson had two sacks and three tackles for loss, according to ESPN. Those three sacks in game one demonstrate that he could potentially have a strong season for the 49ers. He will be a player to continue to watch as the season progresses.
San Francisco 49ers Bomb
Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir did not have a bad game, but he needs to be more careful of the penalties. After getting the start last season when Emmanuel Moseley went down with an ACL tear, Lenoir demonstrated that he could be a starter for the team. He rightfully earned the spot for started. In the game, he ended up with ten combined tackles, eight of which were solo, according to ESPN. Clearly, it’s not bad, but penalties can hurt this team. This is a strong defense, but being called for unnecessary roughness is something he needs to be careful of. As a player, he still did well, but penalties can be costly.
49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir (38) – Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
When the 49ers were up 27-7 in the fourth quarter, McCaffrey could have run the ball down the middle of the field less. The team definitely had to focus on time management there, but also on keeping the team healthy. It was still too early to pull starters, but running back Elijah Mitchell should have carried the ball more there. The reason he is a dud is that while he got carries, it could be argued that if he made more of an impact, the load could have been taken off McCaffrey in some parts of the game.
Mitchell had just five carries in the game. In those carries, he had just 10 yards, according to ESPN. Averaging two yards per carry is not great and will need to improve. The good news is that, as of now, he came out of the game healthy. Maybe next week the San Francisco 49ers running back will be seen on the field more often.
The San Francisco 49ers will next head to Los Angeles to face the Rams. The two NFC West teams will face off early in the season, both sitting at 1-0. All these players will be someone to watch next weekend as both teams look to remain undefeated this season. The game will take place on Sunday in SoFi Stadium.
