The 2023 NFL season is finally here, and the Steelers' first test is a home matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco was one of the NFL's best teams last season, and projects as one of the favorites in the NFC once again in 2023.
The 49ers have one of the most talented teams in the NFL, featuring some of the NFL's best players on both sides of the ball. This talented team will be a tough first test for the Steelers, as not only are they a talented team, but they match up very well with the Steelers. Many of the strengths of the 49ers were weaknesses of the Steelers in 2022. Facing a solid team in those areas will be a perfect way to see if the Steelers' offseason additions helped to shore up those weaknesses.
3. Can the Steelers Stop the Run?
While the run defense has been something that the Steelers have always been known for, the last few years have not been quite the same. With Middle Linebacker being a serious weakness for the team last year, and the team losing Stephon Tuitt to retirement during the 2021 offseason, the run defense took another step back in 2022. The team saw teams frequently gash them with huge chunk plays on the ground, with players such as JK Dobbins, Miles Sanders and Nick Chubb breaking off big runs against them.
The Steelers are hoping that this will not be the case again in 2023, as they completely revamped the Inside Linebacker position, adding: Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander, and Keanu Neal. While Neal is more of a linebacker-safety hybrid, he will undoubtedly see some time at linebacker. The team hopes this revamped position group will produce a much more stout second line of defense behind Cameron Heyward, TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Larry Ogunjobi, and others.
The 49ers may be the best test to see if the Steelers will be able to hold up against the run, as they feature arguably the NFL's best running back in Christian McCaffrey, as well as arguably the league's premier rushing attack perennially, thanks to Head Coach Kyle Shanahan's system.
McCaffrey is joined by Elijah Mitchell, and the occasional Deebo Samuel carries to form one of the league's most talented backfield inside of an elite system. Pair that with an elite offensive line, featuring arguably the best lineman in the entire league in Trent Williams, and it's easy to see why they are so successful in this area of the game.
The Steelers don't have to stifle the 49ers run game to have success and win this game, however, they have to slow it down and make sure that the 49ers can't control the whole game and tire out their defense. If the Steelers can limit San Francisco's run game and make sure it doesn't take over the game, the Steelers can definitely win this game, and this would be a very positive sign for their ability to stop the run against the rest of the league.