The idiom “a knee jerk reaction” means that you respond to something in an equally unthinking way. That’s something as sports fans that we typically do, and if it’s in an unthinking way then I definitely qualify. Knee jerks apply especially if you are a full blood Yinzer, or even just a part Yinzer, who am I fooling it’s more like if you are a Steeler fan in general. As is the custom, I compile my knee-jerk thoughts and publish them immediately after each Steelers game (my son Kyle might have a few things to say as well). It’s my version of running my mouth first and apologizing later (if at all). So with that being said, it’s time to react to the Steelers Preseason Week 3 game against Atlanta. Let’s get this going, HERE……WE……GO!!!

1st Quarter

• Not usually this nervous going into a Week 1 game. 1: 00 pm can’t get here fast enough.
• The Steelers win the toss and decide to take the ball. We will see the offense to start the season.
• Why not start the season with a Pickett to Pickens pass.
• Steelers quickly get to a third down and Pickett is sacked. Quick three and out for the offense. Nice to see Matt Canada is rounded into regular season form.
• The footing on the field looks terrible.
• Elandon Roberts meets McCaffrey in mid-air to stuff the third down run.
• 49ers go for it on 4th and 1, and Roberts couldn’t cover Kittle.
• Back-to-back runs from McCaffrey. Adams is getting blown off the ball. Not what you want from a nose tackle.
• Wide open in the end zone for the touchdown. Not the start the Steelers were looking for. 49ers 7, Steelers 0.
• Going to be interested to see now if Canada becomes quite predictable in his play calling.
• Of course after going three and out the Steelers would hand it off on first down and get blown up.
• And things get worse for the Steelers as Kenny Pickett is picked off. The Steelers couldn’t ask for much worse of a start on offense. Diontae Johnson slipped down and it cost the Steelers a turnover.
• I really have to question the Steelers and Panthers sharing the stadium and going back-to-back days with games on the grass.
• Big play on second down. The Steelers are about to let this game get out of reach early. Absolutely no pressure being put on the 49ers quarterback.
• No pressure and wide open receivers. That’s going to make it an easy day for the 49ers offense.
• At least the defense stiffens and holds the 49ers to a field goal try. Do I even want to know why the Steelers had to burn a time out prior to the snap?
• The Steelers then jump off sides on the try. It cost them 5 yards but it doesn’t matter as the 49ers hit the field goal. 49ers 10 Steelers 0.
• For all the great blocking we heard about from the offensive line in the preseason, they haven’t opened a thing yet.
• And the offense goes three and out for a third-straight possession. Are we going to start hearing the fire Matt Canada chants?
• The 49ers keep churning out first downs, and the Steelers have yet to achieve one.
• Love when the Steelers get them to second and 10 and then give up a 12-yard run. This feels like last year.
• 49ers taking advantage of a lot of Steelers zone.
• Thank God that quarter is over. I only feel like it can go up from here. 49ers 10, Steelers 0.

2nd Quarter

• Brock Purdy continues to pick the Steelers zone apart.
• Aiyuk with his second touchdown catch. This game is over less than a minute into the second quarter. 49ers 17, Steelers 0.
• Okay after the look of that first down play I will start the chant that it’s time to fire Canada.
• Pickett was lucky that that pass wasn’t an interception. Third down in 15.
• Seumalo flinches so let’s make that third down in 20.
• The Boo birds are out at Acrisure stadium as the Steelers prepare to punt it away. Throw a face mask in on the special teams and will give the 49ers 15 more yards.
• For a team that played so clean in the preseason the Steelers have already had way too many penalties.
• The Steelers defense is about a strong as a wet paper bag. They cannot get themselves off the field.
• Add on personal foul by Levi Wallace and the 49ers are about to go in for another score.
• Watt with his first sack of the year.
• The Steelers are going to challenge if there was a fumble recovered by Watt. Coach Tomlin is probably going to lose this one.
• Field goal for the 49ers. 49ers 20, Steelers 0.
• Love the fact that the announcers say the Steelers need to make some plays or the games going to get away from them. This game got away from them at the start of the second quarter.
• Anthony McFarland and his kick returns has been the only highlight so far for the Steelers.
• Dan Moore Jr missed getting out to the second level to block so that was a modest gain there from Jaylen Warren.
• The Steelers go the dreaded double-R double-P. The Steelers have yet to make a first down and have one yard on offense for the game.
• The Steelers still can’t get off the field on third down.
• Cam Hayward had been out with a groin. Comes back in for one play and they’re now walking him off the field. Why did they bother to put him back out there at this point?
• I don’t know that I’ve ever heard Acrisure Stadium so quiet.
• Minkah whiffs on the quarterback, and they end up completing for a first down.
• Nice run by Najee to finally get the Steelers a first down.
• And now Muth is down.
• If Kenny Pickett makes a better throw there it’s a touchdown for Diontae Johnson. Instead the Steelers will have to go for it on 4th down.
• Complete to McFarland keeps the drive alive.
• Muuuttthh!!!! Gets the Steelers on the board.  49ers 20, Steelers 7.

3rd Quarter

• And the 49ers start the second half the way they started the game, by exploiting the holes in the Steelers zone.
• Christian McCaffrey takes the second play of the half to the house. This defense is terrible. 49ers 27, Steelers 7.
• Diontae Johnson with a nice catch, but looks like he has a hamstring problem.
• After the one first down the Steelers stall and now will punt.
• On third down the Steelers can’t get off the field. And the fans are booing again.
• T.J. Watt with his second sack of the game.
• How about another three and out from the offense. This is horrendous.
• The Steelers can’t even catch a break when the punt goes off of defender. Instead of having any chance to recover the 49ers grab it and advance it 15 yards.
• Watt with a strip sack and recovery. That’s three sacks on the day for Trent Jordan.
• The Steelers are inside the 10, and facing a fourth down and four they will go for it. It’s the right call, but they really need to make it.
• The pass was close to nobody. And the Steelers turn it over. Kenny Pickett has not been very good in this game.
• The offense fails to convert the T.J. Watt turnover into any points.
• It’s the end of the third quarter ( I wish it was the end of the fourth quarter actually). 49ers 27, Steelers 7.

4th Quarter

• The Steelers might as well go back to the drawing board on their pass defense. If they don’t then they’ve just handed out a whole bunch of tape for the league to continue to take advantage of them.
• Wow, the defense actually gets off the field on 3rd down.
• Kenny Pickett with an interception. Return to fairly deep into Steelers territory. An illegal forward pass will bring the return back a ways.
• Kenny Pickett has made questionable decisions and even worse throws today.
• On third down and 12, the defense allows Purdy to scramble and pick up the first down. Fitting.
• 49ers with the field goal. 49ers 30, Steelers 7.
• Nice to see that the offensive line has given up and is getting Kenny killed. Who killed Kenny?
• And they killed Kenny again…..it’s like a bad South Park episode.
• That does it. A Week 1 to forget. I know I won’t be able to fast enough.

Once again, I just fired off what was going through my head at the time. All reactions were in real time. Basically, it is the equivalent of watching the game with a me and Kyle, you just don’t have to go to another room because of my screaming at the television (sometimes Kyle leaves the room). Now time to process it, some quick analyzing for the Scho Bro Show, and then put it behind me as we move toward the real deal, Week 2 and the Cleveland Browns. Make sure you get your voice heard in the comments below.