Sep

23

AccuScore Preview: 49ers vs. Steelers

Posted by sf49ers

September 23, 2007 |

Here is the preview for today’s game and I agree with it completely, it may have to take a miracle for San Francisco to overcome a great team like Pittsburgh:

(Sports Network) - No, these are not your grandfather’s Pittsburgh Steelers.

But truth told, they might be better.

The Steel City heroes, just a season removed from the fifth Super Bowl championship in franchise history, are beginning to look a lot more like title contenders in year one under new coach Mike Tomlin than they did in the 16- game sideline swansong of Bill Cowher.

Pittsburgh, which had traveled to Cleveland to rout the Browns, 34-7, in a predictable Week 1 result, added a few more quality points in Week 2 with a 26-3 snuff-out of the visiting Buffalo Bills before yet another frenzied house at Heinz Field.

The Steelers have held their two foes to an average of 222 yards of total offense, a clip that’s good for third in the league among defensive units. And they’ve been opportunistic along the way as well, posting a plus-3 turnover ratio that’s tied for second in the AFC.

A win would improve Tomlin to 3-0 as head man and match the pristine start Cowher had in his first season with the team back in 1992.

And on the other side, waking up the echoes of their own dynastic teams of the 1980s and ’90s are the San Francisco 49ers, who gotten off to a 2-0 start with a pair of less impressive, though no less meaningful, wins over the Arizona Cardinals (20-17) and St. Louis Rams (17-16).

The Niners haven’t started a season at 3-0 since 1998, when they finished 12-4 overall and reached the NFC playoffs.

Running back Frank Gore was the league’s unquestioned most inspirational player last week, mourning over the sudden death of his mother yet still churning out 81 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns.

“When I got up (Sunday) morning, it was tough getting up,” he said. “Every time that it is game time, all I know is that stadium. Me and my mom would talk on the way to the stadium. (Sunday) morning, I just kept looking at my phone. She didn’t call. I shed a few tears and it was tough to get up, but I decided to play and I had to do my best.”

SERIES HISTORY

The 49ers have a 10-8 lead in their all-time series with the Steelers, including a 30-14 home victory when the teams last met, in 2003. Pittsburgh won the previous meeting between the franchises, a 27-6 triumph at Monster Park in 1999. San Francisco has won in its last two trips to Pittsburgh, in 1993 and 1996, with the Steelers last earning a home victory over the Niners in 1987.

The Steelers’ Tomlin and 49ers’ Mike Nolan will be meeting one another, as well as their opponent’s respective team, for the first time as head coaches.

WHEN THE 49ERS HAVE THE BALL

Gore has been the go-to guy on the offensive side since bursting on the scene following a collegiate career at the University of Miami. He’s run for just 136 yards on 38 carries through two weeks, but has already scored three times, which is tied for the league lead. Former No. 1 overall draft pick Alex Smith has completed 26-of-48 passes for 252 yards through two weeks, but has six career touchdown passes in three games against AFC opponents. Also, the Niners are 5-0 in games where Smith achieves a QB rating of at least 95.0. Wide receiver Darrell Jackson has been his favorite target in terms of catches with seven, and Jackson had five receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown in his lone career start against Pittsburgh, while with Seattle in 2002.

The Steelers are again assuming the smothering, hard-hitting persona that helped them dominate the 1970s and triggered an uprising and the aforementioned fifth title after the 2005 season. Their two-week sack total of 10 is tied for the league lead with Minnesota, while the turnover ratio of plus-3 is good for a second-place tie in the AFC. Opponents have managed an average of 222 total yards over two games, the NFL’s third-stingiest rate. Linebacker James Farrior has forced a fumble in three of his last five interconference games, and the team is 7-2 when safety Troy Polamalu has an interception. Rookie linebacker La Marr Woodley posted his first career sack against the Bills.

WHEN THE STEELERS HAVE THE BALL

“Fast” Willie Parker has assumed the lead-dog role that Franco Harris eventually passed on to Jerome Bettis en route to championship wins. He reached 100 yards for the 15th time in his career last week, rumbling for 126 yards on 23 carries and scoring once. The Steelers are 14-1 in games where he reaches triple digits on the ground. Meanwhile, all quarterback Ben Roethlisberger does is win. The fourth-year man is 10-1 in lifetime meetings with NFC foes, tossing 15 TD passes and posting a QB rating of 101.5. He’s 16-5 in his career in Pittsburgh. Wideout Hines Ward has a team-best eight catches for 106 yards and a score, and is five TD receptions away from passing the franchise mark of 62 held by John Stallworth. Pittsburgh has averaged 392.5 total yards through two games, compared to the Niners’ anemic 190.0.

If not for the defense thus far, it’s a fair bet that San Francisco’s record might be the opposite of what it reads today. Six new starters, including rookie linebacker Patrick Willis, nullified the Cardinals’ high-flying offensive trio of Boldin, Fitzgerald and James, then recovered three fumbles against the Rams and limited running back Steven Jackson to 60 yards on 21 carries. Willis had led the team in tackles in each of his first two games as a pro, while veteran end Bryant Young had two sacks last week and leads the NFC with three overall. In 57 career games where Young has a sack, the Niners are 38-19. Cornerback Walt Harris, a product of Mississippi State, has five interceptions in his last two games against AFC foes, including a 28-yard return for a touchdown.

FANTASY FOCUS

Parker ranks among the league’s top backs in yardage and has reached 100 in five of his last six games. Ward hasn’t set the league on fire yet, but he’s capable of big days in bunches. And the Steelers’ defense is always a safe bet to keep offenses in check and do well in the turnover battle. For the Niners, Gore is also an upper-echelon runner and largely carries the load for the entire offensive unit, though tight end Vernon Davis is a good fit in leagues where that position is required. The defense has been strong so far, especially in creating turnovers.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

While the Niners have largely reached 2-0 with good fortune and mirrors, the Steelers have methodically ground out every yard for two straight weeks while surrendering just 10 points to foes. Unless Pittsburgh is uncharacteristically charitable on its home field, expect the defense to key on Gore and force the still largely untested Smith to carry the load. And, when compared to the options possessed by Roethlisberger on the other side, he’s still a trifle overmatched in this get-together.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Steelers 24, 49ers 10

My Prediction: Steelers 38, 49ers 20

Source: AccuScore


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