The Pittsburgh Steelers will officially kick off their 2023 season by hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium.
The Steelers ended last season with a 9-8 overall record, the 19th consecutive season they've finished with a record of .500 or better. The 49ers countered with a 13-4 regular-season record in 2022, winning the NFC West and coming up one game short of a trip to the Super Bowl.
It has been a long wait between games for Steelers fans, who observed a 28-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns the last time the Black & Gold played a meaningful down, just over eight months ago.
Despite the 2022 season-ending victory, Steelers fans were left somewhat disappointed since the squad was eliminated in the race for a playoff berth.
But there was a sense of optimism as well, considering a team with many young players in key positions had won seven of their last nine games to finish with yet another winning record.
During the off-season, Steelers' management stoked the flames of excitement with an incredible draft and added several talented players via trades or free agency.
Once training camp began, fans were able to see how the talent that General Manager Omar Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin had collected would blend with the returning veterans. Most liked what they saw, as the Steelers cruised to a perfect 3-0 record in the pre-season thanks to a mixture of solid contributions from young and old alike.
Skeptics point to the fact that the pre-season doesn't mean anything. It's somehow irrelevant that the Steelers' previously struggling first-team offense scored a touchdown on all five possessions against the likes of Tampa Bay, Buffalo, and Atlanta.
Maybe they're right. Maybe they're wrong. But, we're about to find out.
In the words of Coach Prime, "We Here"!
And I'm excited to provide you with the following five things you need to know about the Steelers' week one matchup with the 49ers.