49ers 24, Steelers 20: Assessing The Latest Loss

PITTSBURGH, PA - The Steelers are in dire straits after bowing to the San Francisco 49ers 24-20 on Sunday. The team fell to 0-3 on the season and remain in a last-place tie in the AFC North with the Cincinnati Bengals, whom they play next Monday night.

Here’s what football writers across the country wrote about the game:

Lorenzo Reyes USA Today: Mason Rudoph “did have two long scoring throws of 76 and 39 yards. But the first was thanks to the speed and elusiveness of receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and the second was on a blown coverage. If you remove those two passes, Rudolph was just 12 of 25 for 59 yards with one interception.”

Bryan DeArdo, CBS Sports: James “Conner's fumble, which came just three plays after the Steelers forced a fifth 49ers turnover, proved to be the nail in Pittsburgh's coffin. Third downs were also key in this game. The Steelers were just 3 of 12 on third down, while the 49ers went 6 of 11 while controlling the ball for over 36 minutes.”

Gary Gramling, Sports Illustrated: James Conner “doesn’t fumble that often, but they seem to come at the worst times imaginable. On Sunday, he coughed one up in his own territory with the Steelers protecting a three-point lead in the final six minutes. The 49ers were in the end zone with the winning touchdown a few minutes later. (Maybe Pittsburgh can make the Jets an offer for Le’Veon Bell.”

Brooke Pryar, ESPN: “The Steelers are 0-3 for the first time since 2013, a season in which they finished 8-8. Though newcomer Minkah Fitzpatrick was optimistic about his team's outlook after Sunday's loss, there is mounting frustration in the locker room.”