We are less than a week away from the kickoff of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ regular season as the San Francisco 49ers will fly east for a heavily anticipated Week One matchup. The matchup has been talked about a lot over the last few weeks as the 49ers are a championship-contending team while the Steelers have flashed this preseason after a strong end to the 2022 season.
Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up Monday morning, former Steelers safety Ryan Clark was asked if QB Kenny Pickett or QB Brock Purdy would have a greater impact on the game when the two sides square off Sunday.
“I think it’s Kenny Pickett, and not because of the old Steeler bias reasons,” Clark said on Get Up, which aired on ESPN. “Kenny Pickett is going to be asked to do more than Brock Purdy will do. Brock Purdy going to be a guy they are going to ask to facilitate and have those great skill players to get yards after the catch. We’ve watched Kenny Pickett push the ball down the field, especially in the preseason.”
Purdy outperformed Pickett in the stat sheet last season relative to sample size as he only started five games, but he did throw for 1,371 yards with a 67.1 completion percentage, throwing 13 touchdowns to four interceptions in five starts and nine total games played. Still, Clark has a point given the schematics of the 49ers offense as HC Kyle Shanahan uses Purdy as a card dealer from the pocket, throwing quick passes at or just beyond the line of scrimmage and alloiung YAC monsters like TE George Kittle, WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, and RB Christian McCaffrey to create in space.
Pickett will be asked to do more in OC Matt Canada’s offense, having to stretch the field vertically like we saw in the preseason with his weapons to generate more splash plays. It’s not like Pickett doesn’t have the option of utilizing the quick game, but Pittsburgh just doesn’t have the scheme and personnel to create after the catch like San Francisco does consistently. That means more will be put on Pickett’s plate to help will Pittsburgh to victory.
Clark was also asked about DE Nick Bosa and his holdout that may affect his status for the regular-season opener. Clark noted that Bosa missing Week One would be a huge loss for the 49ers’ defense, making them change how they do different things without their star player in the lineup.
“This is huge,” Clark said on Get Up. “Let’s remember DeMeco Ryans, who is now the head coach of the Houston Texans, left as the DC of the San Francisco 49ers last year. Steve Wilks, the new DC, would love to have Nick Bosa’s pressure, would love to have Nick Bosa setting the edge. So, it does change the way his is going to be able to attack the Pittsburgh Steelers offensively.”
The Steelers know what it’s like to have their best defensive player out of the lineup as OLB T.J. Watt missed seven games last season with a pec injury. During that time, the defense struggled to consistently create pressure like it did with Watt in the lineup, allowing opposing teams to direct more attention to OLB Alex Highsmith, who isn’t as effective without Watt as he is when Watt plays across from him.
San Francisco could be dealing with similar problems to some degree. It still would have a stout defense without Bosa, but his presence out of the lineup will be felt. The Steelers wouldn’t have to account for him in their blocking schemes and wouldn’t have to game plan around him manning the edge on one side, opening up their playbook if they don’t have to account for the 49ers’ best defensive player.
Bosa still could report in the next couple of days and make an appearance Week One, but he will likely be on a snap count as he’s missed all the preseason and training camp. Even if he does show up in time for the game, a decrease in snaps for him could be huge for Pittsburgh as San Francisco will have its top pass rusher off the field more than usual, opening things up for Pickett and the offense to attack the 49ers more down the field.
