Daily Links: New Steelers Nikes, ‘Long Afternoon’ for Pickett?

ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said on Get Up that the biggest challenge for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense on Sunday is going to be which of the interior defensive tackles can they single block and how will they handle the interior fronts+stunts of San Francisco’s. Orlovsky thinks “it could be a long afternoon for Kenny Pickett.”

?  ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked the Pittsburgh Steelers 20th in the NFL.

“I’m on the record as skeptical of Pittsburgh’s chances, but I’m writing about how things go right in this piece as opposed to what might go wrong,” Barnwell wrote. “Pickett’s development over the second half of the season was impressive, and even if his interception rate doesn’t stick, the Steelers valued him as a potential franchise passer in Round 1 of last year’s draft for a reason. If he makes the same second-year leap as Carson Wentz made for the Eagles in 2017, you know how that ended for Philly.”

Barnwell as the Steelers’ chances to win Super Bowl LVIII at 1.0% and chance to make the playoffs at 34.0%

? A longtime personnel executive thinks Matt Canada’s offense is going to take off this year.

“This year, I think [Canada] has a real coming-out party with the quarterback,” the longtime personnel executive told Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post. “I could see it coming last year. This offense is going to be a problem.”

? Fanatics released the Pittsburgh Steelers Nike Zoom Pegasus 40’s on Tuesday. You can purchase them here for $139.99.

? Take a look at the Steelers Home Opener Gameday poster by Mark Bender. Limited edition, signed numbered prints, will be available at Steeler, pro shops, and Acrisure stadium.

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? Cam Heyward had former teammate and current 49ers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave on his Not Just Football podcast. Heyward even tried to sneak in a little intel from Hargrave by asking what do the 49ers have to do on Sunday to win the game.

Hargrave said he’s looking forward to playing in Pittsburgh again.

“God is good. I’m coming back to Pittsburgh for the first game. I don’t really count the COVID year because there was no fans when we came,” Hargrave said. “This is like the real coming home where I first started, get to see y’all do the Renegade, I ain’t seen that in a while. I’m excited to play in Pittsburgh. I came in the league in Pittsburgh, so that is home for me.”

? According to Next Gen Stats, Kenny Pickett had the third-highest passer rating when target George Pickens last year at 119.5. Only Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle of Miami and Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs of Buffalo had a higher passer rating as a quarterback-wide receiver duo.

? ESPN’s Dan Graziano said on Get Up that Kenny Pickett is the “best developing quarterback in the league.”

? Happy Birthday to former Steelers inside linebacker Ryan Shazier, born on September 6, 1992 in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. Also, Happy Birthday to former Steelers cornerback Chad Scott, born on September 6, 1974 in Capitol Heights, Maryland.

? Tuesday marked the 30th anniversary of the Steelers’ home opener loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Three Rivers Stadium. Sunday will be the third time that the Steelers opened with the 49ers. They also played the 49ers in Week 1 in 1987, which was a 30-17 win by the Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium.

https://twitter.com/steelcitystar/status/1699190431626477777

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