The San Francisco 49ers’ sluggish start raised doubts about their offensive capabilities against the Denver Broncos, as the team entered halftime trailing 3-0. Compounding concerns, Denver had tallied 50 second-half points across its previous three contests.
However, the Broncos’ offense never solved defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’s scheme, while Kyle Shanahan summoned enough offensive execution to produce 21 second-half points. The Denver defense, already weakened by injuries during sweltering conditions in Santa Clara, lost starting cornerbacks Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss to exit wounds in the first half.
The 49ers overcame a sloppy offensive display to improve to 4-0 with a 24-14 victory at Levi’s Stadium. Key takeaways from the contest:
Uninspiring offense:
Fans seeking acrobatic catches and explosive runs were left wanting. The 49ers’ second drive squandered good field position when Shanahan called a quarterback sneak on 4th-and-1½ that fell short. Brock Purdy remained unsacked through four games despite repeated pressure, including a near-sack from D.J. Jones late in the second quarter. After evading Que Robinson’s rush, Purdy misfired on an open Mike Evans in the end zone. Eddy Piñeiro salvaged the drive with a 24-yard field goal, San Francisco’s only points at the break.
Piñeiro’s 54-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Zach Allen, leaving the score 3-0 at halftime.
Both offenses missed critical opportunities.
On defense, Dre Greenlaw bungled his angles on 3rd-and-3, allowing Bo Nix to escape and find Tyler Badie for a 25-yard gain. Jaylen Waddle later dropped a potential touchdown pass from Nix. Denver still settled for a field goal following a 13-play, 55-yard drive.
San Francisco gained 140 rushing yards, with Deebo Samuel accounting for 42 yards on two explosive plays. Despite his production, the 49ers managed no sustained drives until finally connecting for three consecutive touchdowns after struggling on their first seven possessions.
Unexpected contributors:
Reserve safety Siran Neal and running back Kaelon Black provided pivotal plays in the third quarter.
Neal stripped Marvin Mims Jr. on a punt return with under 10 minutes remaining in the quarter, recovering the fumble at Denver’s 28-yard line. Purdy then orchestrated a nine-play, 28-yard touchdown drive capped by a one-yard pass to Samuel. Black had earlier rescued a botched snap from Jake Brendel on 4th-and-1, corralling the errant center and converting two yards to keep the possession alive.
The score stood at 3-3 before those plays. Afterward, the 49ers dominated 21-11.
