SANTA CLARA – It will take several players to replace former 49ers nickel defenseman Jimmie Ward this season.
At least that’s what it looked like for the 49ers in their Week 1 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.
“The season is so long, so I don’t want to wait for something to happen to get someone ready,” 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said Thursday.
“So it’s always a constant attempt to develop myself and prepare people for whether I can steal a series here or there.”
The 49ers opened the game with Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir as starting cornerbacks.
When the Steelers played with three wide receivers, Lenoir dropped to nickel to cover the slot receiver and Ambry Thomas came in at cornerback.
In the second half, Ward and Lenoir remained out on all downs and Isaiah Oliver was substituted onto the field at nickelback.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said there were no plans to change the 49ers’ defensive strength early in the game.
“Things determine change,” he said. “We thought they would all play along, but things happened in the game that made us adapt.”
Shanahan declined to reveal what led the 49ers to put Oliver on nickel in the second half.
“(This is) a matter that is between me and our team,” he said. “Just watch the movie. Maybe you can find out. I’m sorry for the things I can’t say.”
In the first half, Lenoir received three balls on four targets from the slot for just 23 yards, according to PFF. Oliver had all three catches for 25 yards in the second half.
Thomas played 34 snaps at cornerback. Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett targeted him six times, and five of those passes were completed for 32 yards.
“I thought he played well,” Wilks said of Thomas. “I thought he did some good things. For me it’s not just about the production and the guys pay attention to the stats and so on. I’m looking for people who will execute and get the job done and develop their technique based on the call and the situation. And I thought he did that on defense.”
The 49ers’ defense in Week 1 was dominant, save for one fumble at the end of the first half when the Steelers scored their only touchdown of the game.
But the 49ers’ pass defense was as good as it gets. The 49ers forced Pickett to throw underneath. He averaged just 5.0 yards per pass attempt.
The numbers on the 49ers’ nickel back configuration will be tested on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
Although the Rams will be without star slot receiver Cooper Kupp (hamstring injury), they still have a speedy playmaker in Tutu Atwell, who caught four passes from the slot for 60 yards in the Rams’ upset win over the Seattle Seahawks in regulation . Season opener.
Atwell and rookie Puka Nacua each had 119 yards. Nacua’s status is in question after he missed training on Thursday with an oblique strain.
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