Steelers' Levi Wallace Gives His Honest Opinion On Team's 2023 Home Opener

The Pittsburgh Steelers' perfect preseason has come and gone, and attention now turns to their Week 1 home opener against the San Francisco 49ers. Since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement, the team has become younger as a result of the influx of new talent from the offseason. This year, the Steelers are in a noticeably more upbeat and exuberant attitude than they have been compared to previous seasons. 

After having a slow start in 2022, Najee Harris had a good conclusion towards the end of the season. George Pickens is also looking extremely good for this offense, while Diontae Johnson complements him effectively with his own improved methods of getting open and securing catches.

Linebacker T.J. Watt will undoubtedly be helpful for the Steelers as they put more emphasis on their defensive line, especially when playing a team like the 49ers. Throughout his career, he has had 243 solo tackles, 90 assists, 77.5 sacks, recovered 7 fumbles, and made 6 interceptions. Sunday's game will require Pittsburgh's defense to figure out how to stop players like Christian McCaffrey from running or catching the ball.

Cornerbacks like Levi Wallace, who can blitz and stop offensive running plays like sweeps and reverses, can also help in creating turnovers for Pittsburgh. At the start of his career, Wallace signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2018 after graduating from the University of Alabama. His senior season, which culminated in a triumph against the University of Georgia in the National Championship, saw him earn a starting position. After the 2021 season, Wallace, who had developed into a key member of the Bills defense, entered the free agent pool.

For several seasons, Wallace started at outside cornerback for one of the top defenses in football. While playing for the Bills in their zone-heavy approach, he demonstrated that he was dependable and skilled. Wallace embodied the exact type of player the Steelers were looking to sign in 2022: a rising, undervalued athlete that could benefit the team. In his first training camp in Pittsburgh, Wallace got a taste of what the then-rookie wide receiver could do in Pickens.

Wallace, who was interviewed by the media on a recent post, had his own input that he shared regarding Pittsburgh as they prepare to take on the 49ers.

“It’s a good challenge out the gate… this’ll be a good test for us early in the year.”

Wallace continued.

“I’m not even thinking about preseason anymore, you know what I mean? That was like a different season… the important thing is that we're 1 and 0 this week.”

Second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett, who is anticipated to significantly improve after his rookie season, will be tested by this game when going up against one of the NFL's toughest defenses. Although Pickett had a stellar preseason, the outcome of games from here on out are what matter. Last year, both the Steelers and the 49ers tied for the league's most interceptions in 2022 with 20 each. This statistic alone demonstrates how closely these teams compare to one another and how competitive this game will be.

The confidence for the Steelers will increase with a victory on Sunday and start setting the tone for the remainder of the season. On the other hand, a setback can compel them to reassess their plays and make the required modifications. As Sunday approaches, fans on both sides of the stadium will be eager to see a matchup like this one for the start of the season.

How do you think Pittsburgh will perform this Sunday? Let us know in the comments!

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