What will we learn about this team from this match-up? The Broncos are like a scaled-down version of some of the beasts they’d need to slay on their way to the Super Bowl. A legit defensive line (but not quite Seattle), an athletic quarterback (but not quite a peak Mahomes or Josh Allen), and a veteran coach on Kyle’s level (but not quite Andy Reid). This almost feels like the starting gun to the “real” season. Here are the things I will be looking for, beyond the box score, that can tell us a lot about this team…
Can the 49ers handle a ferocious pass rush? It’s great that the offensive line hasn’t given up a sack. They haven’t faced a defensive line this good yet. Seattle next week will be even better. Connor Colby and the interior o-line have exceeded my expectations so far, but this isn’t Miami or Arizona.
Can the 49ers keep exploiting linebackers in coverage without their best wide receivers? Mike Evans might not play. All due respect to Brandin Cooks, but they need big games out of their non-WR skill players like George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, and even a little Kyle Jusczyzk. That’s always been the case but especially so against the “elite DB/vulnerable LB” combination that Denver has going.
Can the 49ers establish the run? Kansas City provided the blueprint in Week 1 when they forced the Broncos to miss 26 tackles.
Can they keep an athletic quarterback in the pocket…. without Nick Bosa? Bo Nix isn’t as good as Matt Stafford but he is the most athletic QB they’ve faced yet (that’s still a mid-tier or above passer). He’s maddenly inconsistent but can also win games on his own.
How’s the secondary holding up? Jaylen Waddle is good to go, and Courtland Sutton is no slouch. I can see a world where the Broncos start slow and then start coming back because of coverage busts on the back end. It just takes one bad bust to breathe life into Bo Nix, who otherwise struggles when forced to step up in the pocket.
Wait, is the 49ers O-line actually good? Broncos, Seahawks can help settle the debate (paywall)
“Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said the big red zone sack Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga had against the Los Angeles Rams late in Denver’s win Sunday shows how efficient — and aggressive — defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s unit can be. Hufanga, a former 49er, lined up to quarterback Matthew Stafford’s blind side at the last second and was unaccounted for as he came off the edge.
“He knows when to call his shots,” Kubiak said of Joseph. “He knows when to be aggressive and come after the quarterback. That group’s been playing together for a while. And when they call those blitzes, they usually work.”
Part of the 49ers’ winning formula so far this year is that they aren’t hurting themselves.”
Five 49ers to watch as Brock Purdy leads charge to stay undefeated vs. Broncos
“Defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa clearly is the main guy. The 49ers need another player or two to stand out among their nine-man rotation. Rookie Gracen Halton could be on the verge of a breakout.
Halton, a fourth-round 2026 NFL Draft pick, will make his third start in a row. He has a couple of tackles for loss, and appears to be trending toward making more big plays.”
49ers add a rookie to the injury report; Dante Pettis hurt his calf
“Evans will be a game-time decision with his rib injury. Shanahan compared his rib injury to Evans, saying, “he’s definitely a lot tougher than me. Hopefully, he’s got a shot.”
Brandin Cooks will make his 49ers debut on Sunday.”
49ers vs. Broncos: The Standard’s 5 fast predictions (paywall)
“Kawakami: Broncos 27, 49ers 26. This would be a disappointing way for the 49ers to go into next weekend’s clash in Seattle. But they’re probably due for a flat performance perhaps with some natural focus on the flight to the Northwest coming up. Also, any more Eddy Piñeiro extra-point misses could be huge in a close game.”
Kyle Shanahan shares final updates ahead of 49ers-Broncos
“When you’re talking to your team about an upcoming opponent, do you find yourself have to talk up the opponent more or do you want to build your team’s confidence or appropriate fear? How do you approach it?
“All of the above. Depends where we’re at at the time, where the team’s at. It changes every week. You can have it come off a huge win and people question the team you’re playing. That happened to us in Week Two. A big win versus the Rams in Australia. Then people have us as huge favorites and stuff the next week versus Miami. I don’t try to talk people up because I don’t think people believe words. I think people believe what they see and I can’t talk people up unless I believe it. So, I usually try to find it in the tape and show people what people can be and what they need to be worried about. It’s something I usually do earlier in the week. I think that fear to fail or respect of people, however you want to word it, is what gets you to work a certain way. The whole goal is to work hard enough so you don’t feel that way, and to me, the goal is to not feel that way by Saturday night so you go into Sunday confident. And if you feel that way on Monday, I usually think you’re in trouble. You’ve got to earn that. It’s got to be real, and that’s through the work you do and the preparation. You prepare the right way if you respect an opponent and I believe we respect whoever we’re playing every week.”
