Sometimes even the best offensive tackle in the NFL needs a break.
But the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t help 49ers star Trent Williams in that regard in Sunday’s season opener at Acrisure Stadium.
This is mainly due to San Francisco’s dominant defense, which limited Pittsburgh’s offense to limited possession opportunities in the first half. The unit forced four Steelers punts and one interception in the first five possessions of the contest for just one yard on 15 plays and zero first downs (h/t Niners Wire).
The 49ers repeatedly holding the Steelers to three-pointers early in the game admittedly wore out Williams, who joked to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle that he had started playing for the Steelers.
“At some point,” Williams said, “you just wanted it [the Steelers] to get a first down. There were so many threes and we kind of needed a break.”
Williams got his wish – so to speak – in the second half and later in the game.
The Steelers’ offense scored just seven points in their home opener, putting paid to all the hype surrounding their flawless preseason record. Running back Najee Harris finally gave Steelers fans reason to celebrate with a 22-yard run that later set up a touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett to tight end Pat Friermuth – their only score of the game.
Meanwhile, the 49ers’ offense was as electric as expected. From Brandon Aiyuk to Christian McCaffrey, everyone contributed to San Francisco’s 30-7 win.
Hopefully Williams has been able to catch his breath by now, as the 49ers defense shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
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