Was week three against the Steelers a turning point for Dante Pettis?

Wide receiver Dante Pettis was a complete no show in the first two games of the season, but after an increase in targets and a game winning touchdown. It may just be the turning point he needed for this season.

Entering the 2019 season, there was high hopes that Dante Pettis would bounce back from his injury to develop into a solid receiver. Well when training camp commenced, Pettis was no where to be found, as in he wasn’t noticeable. The same thing can be said for the first two games of the regular season.

In a previous article here at 49erMaven, I questioned whether or not Dante Pettis would be able to find a role on the offense.

It was looking very bleak for him since he was so far down the totem pole that Richie James Jr. was producing more. It felt like Pettis was in the dog house and that his role was over once Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd returned. However, Dante Pettis stepped up in clutch fashion to seal the victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in week three.

He didn’t have a big numbers game but seeing him battle through it showed his heart. Now because of that, it poses a new question. Was week three against the Steelers a turning point for Dante Pettis?

Nice route by Dante Pettis

-Dives inside with stem.
-Outside-in hesitation baits DB inside. pic.twitter.com/pjcOdjqH0d

— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) September 23, 2019

Yes it was and even Kyle Shanahan vouched for him. It was revealed in Shanahan’s post game presser that Pettis had been battling through injury, which is why he was essentially put on the shelf. Against the Steelers, he was awarded the starting role at wide receiver along with Marquise Goodwin. A sign that Shanahan trusts and believes in him.

It seemed as if he was just bluffing about it because the amount of snaps and targets he received the first two weeks was small. As it turns out, his support for Dante Pettis was very true. This definitely was a turning point for Pettis. In fact, he needed to score that final touchdown to close out the game. Otherwise, Shanahan would’ve grew impatient with his production.

Deebo Samuel still has yet to stake his claim has the clear cut best receiving option, so the next few games following the bye week will be interesting. Trent Taylor will also be out for a longer period of time since he was put on injured reserve last week with his foot injury. That bodes well for Pettis after what seemed to be a hopeless season for him so soon.

Hopefully this was the game to get Pettis going because they need more options for to attack with on offense. He does have the talent with his route running being his strongest trait. The 49ers are yet to have a wide receiver step up and make plays consistently. That receiver just may be Dante Pettis if he’s able to ride this momentum in week five against the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football.