Big Ben could pose problems for defense
SANTA CLARA – Deceiving a young Teddy Bridgewater was one thing. Next up for the 49ers’ defense is Ben Roethlisberger, who will be making regular-season start No. 160 in Sunday’s home opener for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“It’ll be fun. I love to see the (Terrible) Towels and the stadium shake,” Roethlisberger told Pittsburgh reporters Wednesday about the Heinz Field aura.
What he will see from the 49ers is a defense maybe not as vulnerable as some expected, what with no more Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith and so on after this offseason’s exodus.
The 49ers allowed the league’s fewest points in Week 1, when they sacked Bridgewater five times and limited Adrian Peterson to 31 rushing yards in Monday night’s 20-3 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
“They played very good, stout defense, particularly situationally,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said on a conference call with Bay Area media. “They spun the dial, won third down, and did a good job getting after the quarterback.”
Getting a big hit on Big Ben will be a big chore.
The 49ers used a dizzying array of methods to harass Bridgewater, as expected under new defensive coordinator Eric Mangini. His defenders are active, sly and on the prowl. Mangini’s Mannequins, they’re not.
The 49ers blitzed on 35.9 percent of Monday’s snaps, a jump from last season’s 22.6 percent, according to ProFootballFocus.com. Key to that, besides NaVorro Bowman’s return as a centerpiece, was the nickel-package inclusion of rookie Jaquiski Tartt as a third safety, alongside Antoine Bethea and Eric Reid. “It gives you flexibility,” Mangini said after Monday’s game. “It’s a threesafety defense, and you can do anything you want.”
Tartt and Bethea accounted for two of the sacks of Bridgewater, while the coverage helm firm behind them.
“From what we’ve seen so far, they kind of like to do what New England did to us -- a lot of two high (safeties), daring you to run the ball,” Roethlisberger said.
Wide receiver Antonio Brown also saw similarities between the 49ers and Patriots, saying on a conference call, “They’ve both got a disruptive defensive line. To be able to control that front three and front four, if we get our offensive line on their linebackers, I think we’ve got a good opportunity.”
The Steelers must try without Le’Veon Bell, who’s finishing a twogame suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. DeAngelo Williams filled well last week with 127 rushing yards, ranking only behind the 49ers’ Carlos Hyde (168 yards) and the Chicago Bears’ Matt Forte (141).
Roethlisberger and Brown (nine catches, 133 yards last week) pose an intimidating threat to a 49ers secondary that allowed an average of 10 yards per completion to Bridgewater (231 yards, one interception).
“I didn’t think they were challenged because of what was going on up front,” Tomlin said of the 49ers’ secondary.
Keying that pressure on Bridgewater and Peterson was Mangini’s array of “tricks,” as linebacker Michael Wilhoite called them.
“We have a lot more we can throw at them,” Wilhoite added. “(Mangini) gives us a ton of information, and it was difficult at first, but we’re professionals. If you challenge us, we’ll try to rise to it, and that’s why we’re in the position of being 1-0.”
Second-year cornerback Kenneth Acker, who started in his NFL debut Monday night, said Mangini’s scheme wasn’t hard for him to learn, even if it’s unpredictable.
“In Mangini’s defense here, you find yourself in positions you wouldn’t typically be in on other teams,” Acker added.
Tomlin is no stranger to Mangini, having faced his “sound” and “challenging” schemes when Mangini coached the New York Jets (2006-08) and Cleveland Browns (2009-10).
“The sub-package is going to be challenging on third down,” Tomlin said. “That’s what they displayed on Monday night,” when the Vikings’ third-down efficiency was 1 of 9.