The Steelers dropped their third game of the season to the 49ers. Now they are 0-3 and still looking for their first victory.
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost the game against the 49ers 24-20. It was a tough game for the offense and for Mason Rudolph.
I was able to find answers to my questions posed before the game. Although they were not exactly the answers, we were all looking to find.
This article answers my five burning questions from before the game.
How will Mason Rudolph do in his first official start?
Mason Rudolph did not look ready to take the reigns of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. When the 49ers turned the ball over four times in the first half, the Steelers only got six points, and that was off turnovers in field goal range. The Steelers had red zone opportunities, but he was not converting them.
Pittsburgh had trouble just moving the ball especially in the early part of the game. Along with difficulties moving the ball, Mason Rudolph also had three interceptions at the beginning of the third quarter. This was not the worst turnover mark, but it should have been offset with more passing yards and touchdowns thrown.
There were two bright spots in Mason Rudolph’s first start. He threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to Juju Smith-Schuster. He has actually looked good throwing the deep ball. He also had a touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson in the fourth quarter. It was a beautiful pass, but it was also a blown coverage by the 49ers secondary.
One of the reasons the Black & Gold lost this one was their play in situational football. The Steelers had the ball in the fourth quarter with time to spare but were unable to move the ball on the first series of the drive. The Steelers ended up turning the ball over on downs. I would say moving the ball was the biggest problem in the Steelers offense.