San Francisco 49ers: Game-by-game predictions for the 2019 season

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NASHVILLE, TN – AUGUST 25: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans during week three of preseason at Nissan Stadium on August 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Week 3: vs Pittsburgh Steelers

If the 49ers are going to be competitive this season, the first two games should be pretty comfortable wins. If they do, their home opener becomes a test of whether they will be contenders or pretenders.

The Steelers are not Super Bowl contenders. Ben Roethlisberger is no longer good enough to carry a roster and as frustrating as Antonio Brown was, they won’t be able to replace him in the same way they replaced Le’Veon Bell.

Frankly, they’re likely to be the third-best team in their division (behind Cleveland and Baltimore).

With that said, they’ll finish the season somewhere around .500. Hence, if the 49ers want to push for a playoff spot, this becomes a solid test. Pittsburgh has a solid, albeit flawed roster, in some ways like San Francisco.

The 49ers should have an advantage with their youth. Coming off a pair of road wins, the Niners will have the momentum to carry them to a home victory.

Prediction: W 28-24 (3-0)