Peterson

I'm not trying to dismiss Brock Purdy, but I didn't see anything "great" out there from him. Outside of TJ Watts handful of plays he had a clean pocket, all kinds of time, a legit run game to play action off of, receivers running wide open all day and play calling that put him on a platform for success.
You switch these teams QBs and I think the results are largely the same. Purdy's first TD pass to Aiyuk should have been broken up at minimum. WR bailed him out on a weak back shoulder throw. Peterson made 2 breakups but then proceeded to get lit up. San Fran is so talented across the board that all they need at QB is someone to not mess it up. That's exactly what 6 yards per pass Purdy is.
Steelers defense was seriously atrocious. The 9ers looked like they could do whatever they wanted and should've scored 50+.
Pickett was very bad. Even when he had no reason to be. There were routes that were wide open on many plays that he either missed or poorly threw, over and over. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why you have a talent like Pickens and he will not throw the ball to him. If Pickens was on another team the guy would be ranked about like the next Justin Jefferson.
I am not a Tomlin fan, I'll own that for what it is but this loss is mostly on the pathetic performance of the players on the field. The Steelers of Tomlin past seem to have games like this intermittently. Absolute pathetic, unprepared embarrassment.
Next week is gonna be rough. The Browns defense is legit and the Steelers defense might make Chubb and company look like SB contenders.

 

In PatPete's defense... when the offense consistently goes 3 and out and can't gain 10 yards on 3 downs.... the CBs, ILBs and Safeties are gonna get gassed.

 

I think the D was on the field about a Qtr longer than SF's. That'll make a difference. JMO>

 

I always see the "defense was out there too much" excuse thrown out there and while it does have some legitimacy to it, the defense didn't look good from the jump.

 

This is where I am with the defensive performance. I do acknowledge that had they not been constantly put out there maybe they are not gassed, but they were not good from the start. Brandon Aiyuk is a fine receiver, but the Steelers defense made him look otherworldly.
The secondary was as bad as I have ever seen I think.

 

Exactly. Yes it has an effect, but what is the excuse on the 1st drive of the game, and on the 1st drive of the half.

 

I mean, Levi Wallace was probably pretty tired from chasing air......