The 49ers (2-0) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2) at Levi's Stadium for a 1:25 PT kickoff.
Mason Rudolph starts for the Steelers in place of Ben Roethlisberger (elbow surgery, season-ending). The 49ers return from their two-game road opening with both wins.
Garoppolo starts. Mostert continues to share the backfield.[1][2][3]
Mason Rudolph, the Steelers' third-round 2018 draft pick, makes his first career NFL start Sunday afternoon at Levi's Stadium. Ben Roethlisberger had season-ending elbow surgery Tuesday. The Steelers are 0-2 and now playing 2019 with their backup quarterback.
The 49ers, at 2-0 with two road wins, are favored by 7 at home against a Pittsburgh team facing the kind of injury crisis that defines a year's trajectory. The 49ers' defensive front, with Bosa producing in two straight games, lines up against a Steelers offensive line that has not been the same since the Le'Veon Bell holdout.
Favored by 7 at home. The kind of Sunday a 2-0 contender uses to extend a strong start.
Week 3 is the early-season identity sort. The 49ers (2-0) are tied with the Rams and Patriots at the top of their conferences. The Bears, Saints, and Cowboys all sit at 1-1 or 2-0. Around the AFC the Patriots, Chiefs, and Bills are at the top. The Steelers, with Roethlisberger now out for the season, are in the early-rebuild conversation. The Sunday home game is the kind of week the 49ers use to confirm their early-season identity.
Through two games the 49ers are 2-0 with a +38 point differential. The Steelers are 0-2 with a -16 and have lost Ben Roethlisberger for the season (elbow surgery). Mason Rudolph makes his first NFL start. The 49ers' run game produced 320 total yards in two weeks. Bosa has 2 sacks. Vegas opens the 49ers as 7-point home favorites; total 43.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 2-0 | W2 |
| New England Patriots | 2-0 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-2 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 2-0 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 1-1 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-2 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 1-1 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 1-1 | W1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 1-1 | L1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-0 | W2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 1-1 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 1-1 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 2-0 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2-0 | W2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2-0 | W2 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 0-1-1 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-0 | W2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1-1 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 0-2 | L2 |
| Washington Redskins | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 2-0 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 1-0-1 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 1-1 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-1 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-1 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1-1 | W1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 0-2 | L2 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Steelers | Chris Boswell 46 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| Steelers | Chris Boswell 26 yard field goal | 6-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Robbie Gould 24 yard field goal | 6-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jeff Wilson 1 yard rush ( Robbie Gould kick) | 6-10 |
| Steelers | JuJu Smith-Schuster 76 yard pass from Mason Rudolph ( Chris Boswell kick) | 13-10 |
| 49ers | Jeff Wilson 4 yard rush ( Robbie Gould kick) | 13-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Steelers | Diontae Johnson 39 yard pass from Mason Rudolph ( Chris Boswell kick) | 20-17 |
| 49ers | Dante Pettis 5 yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo ( Robbie Gould kick) | 20-24 |
Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 277 yards and a touchdown and the 49ers held off a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-20 at Levi's Stadium. Mason Rudolph threw two touchdown passes in his first NFL start. Tevin Coleman ran for 41 yards and a touchdown. Marquise Goodwin caught a 13-yard TD. Nick Bosa had a sack and forced a fumble. The 49ers improved to 3-0.[1][2][3]
Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 277 yards Sunday afternoon at Levi's Stadium. Mason Rudolph, in his first NFL start, threw two touchdown passes. The Steelers came back from 21-13 down to make it a four-point game. The 49ers held on 24-20.
Bosa had a sack and a forced fumble that he also recovered. Dee Ford added a sack. The 49ers' defensive front, even against a Steelers offensive line that has been better than expected, produced four total sacks. Tevin Coleman ran for a touchdown. Marquise Goodwin caught one. George Kittle, despite limited usage, made big-time catches when needed.
The kind of close win that, paired with the road opening blowouts, has the 49ers at 3-0 in week three for the first time since 2012. The 49ers came in with their first three opponents averaging 1-2 records; the season starts to firm up next week with the bye and then the Browns on Monday Night Football.
49ers 24, Steelers 20. Margin: +4. Three-game record: 3-0, +42 differential.
A 24-20 home win over the Steelers at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers improve to 3-0, their first 3-0 start since 2012.
How it unfolded
The 49ers built a 14-3 first-half lead behind a Coleman rushing touchdown and a Garoppolo touchdown to Marquise Goodwin. The second quarter was a Robbie Gould field goal and a Mason Rudolph touchdown to Donte Moncrief to make it 17-10 at halftime. The third quarter was a Garoppolo touchdown drive ending in a short pass to Raheem Mostert to make it 21-13. Rudolph threw a fourth-quarter touchdown to Jaylen Samuels to cut the deficit. A Gould field goal pushed it to 24-20. The 49ers' defense held in the closing minutes.
The turning point
Nick Bosa's forced-fumble-and-recovery in the third quarter. With the Steelers driving for a momentum score and the lead at 17-10, Bosa's strip of Rudolph and his own recovery turned the possession into a touchdown drive.
By the numbers
Garoppolo 20-of-29 for 277 with one TD. Coleman 9 carries for 41 with a TD. Mostert 6 catches for 21 with a TD. Mason Rudolph 14-of-27 for 174 with two TDs. Bosa one sack, one forced fumble, one recovery.
Personnel watch
Bosa in his most impactful game yet with the strip-sack-and-recovery sequence. Dee Ford another sack. The defensive front, with Bosa, Ford, and Armstead, has produced sacks in three straight games. Garoppolo's third 200-plus passing day.
What it means
3-0 with the Week 4 bye coming up, then Cleveland on Monday Night Football at Levi's. The first 3-0 start since 2012 confirms that the year-three Shanahan project, with Garoppolo back and the front-four rebuilt, has arrived. The schedule's first read is overwhelmingly positive.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 23/32 | 277 | 1 | 2 | |
| PIT | |||||
| Mason Rudolph | 14/27 | 174 | 2 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Raheem Mostert | 12 | 79 | 0 | 19 |
| Matt Breida | 14 | 68 | 0 | 10 |
| Jeff Wilson | 8 | 18 | 2 | 5 |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| PIT | ||||
| James Conner | 13 | 43 | 0 | 10 |
| Mason Rudolph | 4 | 15 | 0 | 7 |
| Johnny Holton | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Diontae Johnson | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Benny Snell Jr. | 3 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| George Kittle | 6 | 57 | 0 | 12 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | 3 | 51 | 0 | 27 |
| Deebo Samuel | 3 | 44 | 0 | 20 |
| Marquise Goodwin | 2 | 41 | 0 | 25 |
| Richie James | 2 | 22 | 0 | 16 |
| Kendrick Bourne | 1 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| Matt Breida | 2 | 20 | 0 | 15 |
| Dante Pettis | 4 | 20 | 1 | 12 |
| PIT | ||||
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | 3 | 81 | 1 | 76 |
| Diontae Johnson | 3 | 52 | 1 | 39 |
| James Conner | 4 | 14 | 0 | 5 |
| James Washington | 2 | 14 | 0 | 8 |
| Vance McDonald | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Xavier Grimble | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
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