The 49ers offense was prone to mistakes and couldn’t sustain a drive in the first 15 minutes. The defense looks like they came to play, holding the Steelers to two field goals after two 49ers turnovers.
The Steelers lead 6-0 at the end of the first quarter. Here’s what stood out:
Defense holds after turnovers
After an unfortunate interception where Matt Breida bobbled a screen pass into the hands of TJ Watt, the Steelers were set at the 49ers 33-yard-line. Fred Warner set the tone quick with a hit on James Conner as soon as he caught it, and Ahkello Witherspoon collected a tackle for loss and the defense held on third down to force a field goal.
Issues holding onto the ball
On the drive following the interception, the 49ers were moving the ball after a Jimmy Garoppolo completion to Richie James for a gain of 16 on a third down. The next play was a pitch to the left to Raheem Mostert who couldn’t hold onto the ball and lost 18 yards on a fumble. The offense couldn’t recover and punted three plays later.
Three drives, three mistakes on offense
The third drive of the day wasn’t the charm for the 49ers offense. After a loss of one on a Breida carry, Garoppolo had pressure come from the left side of the line and forced a pass into coverage that was intercepted by the newly acquired Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick returned the ball to the 49ers 24-yard-line, but the defense held the Steelers to another field goal.
