Steelers-49ers Gameday: TV Info, Lines, Injuries, More

After eight months of anticipation, it’s finally here, as the Pittsburgh Steelers are ready to kick off their 2023 NFL season with a home game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

STEELERS GAMEDAY INFO

Week 1, Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0) vs. San Francisco 49ers (0-0)
Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, 1 p.m.
Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh (68,400, Grass)

Broadcast
TV: FOX, WPGH-TV locally (Joe David, Daryl Johnston, Pam Oliver)

Radio: Steelers Radio Network, 102.5 WDVE-FM (Bill Hillgrove, Craig Wolfley, Max Starks), Sirius XM

SN Coverage: Alan Saunders, Nick Farabaugh, Ed Thompson
Roof open/closed: TBD Forecast: 73 degrees, cloudy, wind NW 3 mph
Lines: Steelers +2, Steelers +115, over/under 41.5 PointsBet Sportsbook Promo — Free Fanatics Jersey with New $50 Bet

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AT STAKE

Nobody wants to start 0-1 and with good reason. Since the NFL expanded to 34 teams, 176 of 258 playoff teams were Week 1 winners (68%) and 117 of 167 division teams won their openers (70%).

Last season, the 14 teams that made the NFL playoffs were a combined 10-4 on the opening weekend.

While cross-conference games are typically the lowest-stakes affairs on NFL schedules, the Steelers are only facing three 2022 NFL playoff teams from outside their division this year. The 49ers, who made it to the NFC Championship Game in 2022, are tied as the best team the Steelers will face this season in terms of last year’s playoff exit.

INJURY REPORT

Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi is the only Steelers player whose availability in the game is not 100%. He was limited in practice all week after not appearing in the team’s preseason games. It’s the second straight year that Ogunjobi will apparently miss practice time with a foot injury, but it did not keep him out of games in 2022.

Fellow starting defensive tackle Cam Heyward did not practice on Thursday with a stomach issue. He returned to practice in full on Friday and will play.

A combination of DeMarvin Leal, Armon Watts, Montravius Adams, Keeanu Benton and Isaiahh Loudermilk should be expected to replace Ogunjobi if he can’t play or is limited in the amount he can play.

FROM THE OTHER SIDE

Tight end George Kittle is questionable with a groin injury and cornerback Charvarius Ward is questionable with a heel issue. Kittle was limited all week, while Ward’s issue cropped up on Friday. Kittle is expected to play.

Defensive end Nick Bosa will play after ending his holdout midweek, but after not practicing with the team throughout training camp and the preseason, it’s unknown how much he will play.

Safety Talanoa Hufanga was limited by a knee injury and then missed practice on Thursday for a personal matter, but he will play.

Quarterback Brock Purdy is set to return for his first regular-season game after his playoff injury that required UCL surgery. He played just 11 snaps in the 49ers preseason.

THE LAST TIME

Dante Pettis caught a late touchdown from Jimmy Garoppolo to lift the 49ers over the Steelers, 24-20, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sept. 22, 2019. Chris Boswell kicked two field goals and Mason Rudolph threw touchdown passes to JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson.

The last game in Pittsburgh was a 43-18 Steelers win on Sept. 20, 2015. DeAngelo Williams ran for three touchdowns and Heath Miller, Darius Heyward-Bey and Antonio Brown caught TD passes from Ben Roethlisberger.

SERIES

The 49ers own the overall series between the teams, 12-10, in what has been a closely contested battle between opposing conference heavyweights throughout their history.

The teams first met in Pittsburgh on Oct. 14, 1951 and have played infrequently throughout their history. Only twice has one team won more than two consecutive games in the series. The Steelers won three straight games from 1973-78 and the 49ers took three in a row from 1990-96.

This is the fifth game between the teams that will be their season opener. The Steelers won in 1987 and 1977 and the 49ers won in 1993 and 1958.

TOMLIN IN OPENERS

Mike Tomlin is 10-5-1 in regular season openers as head coach, he has won three straight Week 1 games and is 5-1-1 in his last seven season openers. The Steelers went on the road to beat the New York Giants (2020), Buffalo Bills (2021) and Cincinnati Bengals (2022) in their last three season openers.

Overall, the Steelers have opened on the road in eight straight seasons, with their last home season opener a 2014 win over Cleveland.

The Steelers have been worse off in home openers lately. They’ve lost two in a row and four of their last five in the Acrisure Stadium season debut. Overall, Tomlin is 11-5 in home openers.