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Writers pick: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Francisco 49ers

By Christian Brown

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 15: Vance McDonald #89 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates his touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Heinz Field on September 15, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 15: Vance McDonald #89 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates his touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Heinz Field on September 15, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 24: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers congratulates Jimmy Garoppolo #10 after a one-yard touchdown run against the Jacksonville Jaguars during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 24: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers congratulates Jimmy Garoppolo #10 after a one-yard touchdown run against the Jacksonville Jaguars during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images) /

The second area of concern: 49ers receiving options

The second area of concern I have is with the 49ers receiving options. George Kittle, in particular, is the one receiver I want to discuss. Kittle, who has quickly become one of the best tight ends in the game at only 25 years old, should be the weapon the 49ers try to utilize throughout the game.

As each of the Steelers opponents did in week 1 and two, San Francisco will look to exploit the mismatch against the Steelers 2019 first round pick Devin Bush. Bush has struggled to cover tight ends while playing man to man coverage.

If Bush continues to struggle against the All-Pro Kittle this weekend, Minkah Fitzpatrick could be the guy to step up when it comes to covering Kittle. His ability to cover both the slot and tight ends is one key reason the Steelers traded for him.

49ers speed threats

The 49ers may have possibly the most lethal group of wide receivers when it comes to combined speed threats. The most notable contributors would be Marquise Goodwin and Deebo Samuel. The Steelers secondary will have to keep their heads on a swivel while covering both of these wide outs options for San Francisco.

Predicted outcome

I expect the Pittsburgh Steelers week 3 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers to be a dog fight until the very end. I expect that a field goal will be the difference between the two sides, with the final being a score 31-28 favoring Pittsburgh.

Even though it is early in the season, this is almost a must win for the Steelers if they plan to compete for a playoff spot. With this being said, here are the rest of the Still Curtain writer’s predictions below. Followed by the team’s predictions is their reasoning for their decisions.

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