All the feel-good stories of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 preseason have immediately gone away. Through just over one quarter of the regular season, the Steelers are struggling. As of this writing, they’re down 17-0 to the San Francisco 49ers, who have looked like the perfect team this week, not the Steelers.
Pittsburgh’s offense has opened slow, a complete reversal of what happened in the preseason. After the first quarter, the Steelers were outgained by the 49ers 118-2. Pickett was sacked on his opening drive, threw an interception intended for a slipping WR Diontae Johnson, and threw incomplete to him on third down the following drive.