The 49ers (10-3) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) at Candlestick Park for a 5:20 PT Monday Night Football kickoff.
Ben Roethlisberger leads the Steelers' offense. Mike Tomlin coaches Pittsburgh. Rashard Mendenhall at lead back. Hines Ward at receiver. Alex Smith continues for the 49ers. Frank Gore at lead back.
Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers come into Monday night at 10-3. Mike Tomlin's defense has been the conference's most-established. Rashard Mendenhall has averaged 70 rushing per game. Hines Ward continues at receiver.
The 49ers, at 10-3 with the Cardinals road OT loss fresh, host the Steelers in the kind of Monday-night primetime home game where the year-one regime faces an AFC contender. Alex Smith's fourteenth start. Gore at lead back.
Underdog by 3 at home in primetime. The Monday-night spot is the year's marquee primetime home matchup.
Week 15 Monday Night Football is the December primetime check. The Packers (13-0) lead the NFC. The 49ers (10-3), Saints (10-3), Lions (8-5), and Falcons (8-5) compete in the NFC. The Steelers (10-3), Patriots (10-3), Texans (10-3), and Ravens (10-3) lead the AFC. The Monday-night game is the year's marquee primetime cross-conference matchup between two top-tier contenders.
Through thirteen games the 49ers are 10-3 with a +125 point differential. The Steelers are 10-3 with a +93. Ben Roethlisberger has 17 TDs and 8 INTs in 13 games. Rashard Mendenhall 770 rushing yards. Hines Ward 40 catches in 13 games. Smith 2,440 passing in 13 starts. Vegas opens the Steelers as 3-point road favorites; total 35.5.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 10-3 | W5 |
| New York Jets | 8-5 | W3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 5-8 | L6 |
| Miami Dolphins | 4-9 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 10-3 | W4 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 10-3 | W4 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7-6 | L2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4-9 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 10-3 | W7 |
| Tennessee Titans | 7-6 | L1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 4-9 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-13 | L13 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 8-5 | W6 |
| Oakland Raiders | 7-6 | L2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6-7 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 5-8 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 10-3 | L1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 6-7 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6-7 | W2 |
| St. Louis Rams | 2-11 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 7-6 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 7-6 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5-8 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 4-9 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 13-0 | W13 |
| Detroit Lions | 8-5 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 7-6 | L3 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2-11 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 10-3 | W5 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 8-5 | W1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 4-9 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-9 | L7 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | David Akers 22 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | David Akers 38 yard field goal | 0-6 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Steelers | Shaun Suisham 51 yard field goal | 3-6 |
| 49ers | Vernon Davis 1 yard pass from Alex Smith ( David Akers kick) | 3-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Frank Gore 5 yard rush ( David Akers kick) | 3-20 |
Frank Gore ran for 70 yards and a touchdown and the 49ers' defense produced two sacks as the 49ers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3 on Monday Night Football at Candlestick Park. Alex Smith threw for 187 yards and a touchdown. Vernon Davis caught the touchdown. David Akers kicked two field goals. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 330 yards. The 49ers improved to 11-3 in the year's primetime home win.[1][2][3]
Frank Gore ran for 70 yards and a touchdown Monday night at Candlestick Park. The 49ers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3 in the kind of Monday-night primetime home win where the year-one regime's competitive identity, after the Cardinals OT road loss, produced the year's signature primetime home performance.
Alex Smith threw for 187 yards and a touchdown to Vernon Davis. Davis caught the touchdown. Joshua Morgan caught two for 41. David Akers kicked two field goals. The 49ers' offense produced 20 points. The kind of Monday-night primetime home game where the offensive identity, in Smith's fourteenth start, was firmly in the conference's top tier.
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 330 yards. Rashard Mendenhall ran for 53. The 49ers' defense generated two sacks of Roethlisberger and held the Steelers to 3 points. The kind of Monday-night primetime home win where the year-one regime's competitive identity, against an AFC contender, was the year's signature primetime home moment. 11-3 with the Seahawks on the road next.
49ers 20, Steelers 3. Margin: +17. Fourteen-game record: 11-3, +142 differential.
A 20-3 Monday Night Football home win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Candlestick Park. The 49ers improve to 11-3 in the year's signature primetime home performance.
How it unfolded
Gore ran in a touchdown to give the 49ers an early lead. Akers kicked a field goal. The Steelers kicked one. Akers kicked another. The 49ers led 13-3 at halftime. The third quarter was a Smith touchdown to Vernon Davis to make it 20-3. The 49ers' defense closed out the rest of the way.
The turning point
Gore's first-quarter rushing touchdown. With the year-one regime's offense looking to produce the kind of primetime home statement after the Cardinals OT road loss and the Monday-night crowd seeing the marquee cross-conference matchup, Gore's score set the tone for the kind of complete-team primetime performance the rebuild had been planning for.
By the numbers
Smith 18-of-22 for 187 with a TD (82 percent completions). Gore 17 carries for 70 with a TD. Davis 4 catches for 54 with a TD. Morgan 2 catches for 41. Akers two field goals. Ben Roethlisberger 25-of-44 for 330. Rashard Mendenhall 11 for 53. Hines Ward 5 for 79.
Personnel watch
Smith's career-best completion percentage (82 percent). Gore's rushing touchdown. Davis's touchdown reception. The defense's two sacks of Roethlisberger and holding the Steelers to 3 points. The kind of Monday-night primetime home performance where the year-one regime's competitive identity, against an AFC contender, was the year's signature primetime home moment.
What it means
11-3 with the Seahawks on the road next week. The Monday-night primetime home win confirms the year-one regime's competitive identity in primetime. The Seahawks road game next is the next divisional matchup. The NFC West title was clinched in W11 with the Cardinals home win.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Alex Smith | 18/31 | 187 | 1 | 0 | |
| PIT | |||||
| Ben Roethlisberger | 25/44 | 330 | 0 | 3 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Frank Gore | 18 | 65 | 1 | 13 |
| Alex Smith | 3 | 12 | 0 | 14 |
| Anthony Dixon | 5 | 12 | 0 | 4 |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Bruce Miller | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Kendall Hunter | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| PIT | ||||
| Rashard Mendenhall | 15 | 64 | 0 | 11 |
| Mewelde Moore | 1 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaac Redman | 2 | -1 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Vernon Davis | 6 | 72 | 1 | 31 |
| Michael Crabtree | 4 | 35 | 0 | 12 |
| Kyle Williams | 4 | 33 | 0 | 10 |
| Kendall Hunter | 2 | 24 | 0 | 27 |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Brett Swain | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| PIT | ||||
| Jerricho Cotchery | 5 | 93 | 0 | 36 |
| Heath Miller | 5 | 82 | 0 | 39 |
| Mike Wallace | 5 | 66 | 0 | 36 |
| Antonio Brown | 5 | 59 | 0 | 24 |
| Rashard Mendenhall | 3 | 25 | 0 | 13 |
| Mewelde Moore | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
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