The Broncos vs 49ers game at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, October 4 was tied 3-3 at half time and looked like it might stay ugly. Then San Francisco found its offense. The 49ers scored touchdowns on three straight second half possessions, the last a 56 yard screen pass to George Kittle with 2:15 to play, and beat Denver 24-14 to stay unbeaten at 4-0.
Brock Purdy threw two touchdown passes and Christian McCaffrey ran for another. Denver fall to 2-2, and lost two starting cornerbacks to injury along the way.
Broncos vs 49ers: how the game turned
The first half was all field goals. Wil Lutz hit from 52 yards for Denver and Eddy Pineiro answered from 24, according to the CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports game logs.
The break came in the third quarter. A Denver punt return fumble handed the 49ers the ball at the Broncos’ 28, and Purdy finished the short drive with a 1 yard touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel. McCaffrey’s 1 yard run at the end of a 74 yard march made it 17 points for San Francisco, per ESPN.
Denver did not fold. Bo Nix led the Broncos back to 17-14 in the fourth quarter, helped by a two point conversion. With the game in the balance, San Francisco went to a tight end screen. Kittle caught it, turned upfield and ran 56 yards to the end zone to restore a 10 point cushion.
“Any time you see green grass, I think I ran the entire time with a smile on my face,” Kittle said, as quoted in the AP report on ESPN.
Key numbers from 49ers 24, Broncos 14
| Stat | Broncos | 49ers |
|---|---|---|
| Half time score | 3 | 3 |
| Total yards | 296 | 358 |
| First downs | 16 | 20 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
Passing: Purdy 19 of 30, 218 yards, 2 TD, no interceptions. Nix 25 of 42, 214 yards, 1 TD.
Rushing: McCaffrey 15 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD.
Longest play: Kittle’s 56 yard catch and run.
One turnover decided a lot. Denver’s only giveaway set up a touchdown drive of just 28 yards, and San Francisco never gave the ball back all afternoon.
Injuries that matter for Week 5
Denver’s secondary took the biggest hit. Cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II (ankle) and Riley Moss (ribs) both left and did not return, along with receiver Pat Bryant (ankle), according to ESPN and CBS Sports. For the 49ers, fullback Kyle Juszczyk hurt his knee and safety Marques Sigle his ankle.
For casual fans, here is why Surtain matters: he is Denver’s top cover corner, the player usually asked to follow the other team’s best receiver. Losing him and Moss at the same time leaves the Broncos thin at the position right before a road trip.
Sean Payton summed up the day bluntly. “We just didn’t have enough offense to get a lead,” the Broncos coach said, per the AP.
What’s next for the 49ers and Broncos
- 49ers (4-0): at the Seattle Seahawks, 4:25pm ET on Sunday, October 11.
- Broncos (2-2): at the Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05pm ET on Sunday, October 11.
Both are division road games, so the stakes rise straight away. San Francisco also came through a wild one in Week 3: here is our Cardinals vs 49ers report. Denver’s Week 3 comeback against the Rams is in our Rams vs Broncos story.
