The undefeated San Francisco 49ers are an absolute unit, and this Week 4 road game against them is probably the stiffest challenge yet for the Denver Broncos. After an ugly Week 1 loss to the Chiefs, the Broncos (2-1) have needed huge second-half comebacks just to squeak past the Jaguars and Rams. Now they’re staring down a 3-0 Niners squad that’s looked nearly flawless, dismantling the Rams in Australia, pounding the Dolphins by 22 points, and holding off the Cardinals 36-30. If Denver wants any shot, they’ve got to figure out how to crack a team that seems to have no weaknesses.
Kittle Is on Fire, and the Broncos Are Vulnerable Over the Middle
Look, the 49ers have a ton of weapons, but George Kittle is playing like a man possessed right now. He’s coming into this game absolutely scorching hot, reeling in 10 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns in his last two outings. That’s serious production, and it’s a huge problem for the Broncos, who’ve been notorious for giving up big games to tight ends. Inside linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are gonna have their hands full trying to lock him down in the middle of the field. Safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones have to be ready to step up and help, forcing Brock Purdy to look for targets on the outside. Especially with the chance that Mike Evans could miss this one for the Niners, slowing Kittle down feels like the most obvious play for Denver.
Big Plays and Zero Sacks: The Niners’ Secret Sauce
What’s really wild about the 49ers? Last week against the Cardinals, they ran a measly 50 offensive plays compared to Arizona’s 81. They had just over 21 minutes of possession time, while the Cardinals had almost 40. And they STILL WON THE GAME. How? Explosive plays. San Francisco busted out six plays of 20 yards or more, including an 80-yard touchdown on a reception and pitch to Deebo Samuel, plus a 35-yard scramble from Purdy. The Broncos HAVE to limit those monster plays; you just can’t win when you let a team rip off chunks like that.
But here’s the stat that should keep Vance Joseph up at night: the 49ers have given up ZERO sacks through three games. You heard that right. Not one. They are the *only* team in the entire league who can say that right now. No wonder Purdy looks so comfortable back there, picking defenses apart. Denver’s defensive unit needs to find a way to break through that protection, create some chaos, and at the very least, force Purdy to throw off his spot. If they can’t get to him, if they become the fourth team to fail to get a sack, Purdy will just stand there and shred them. This is on Joseph to scheme up some pressure.
The Broncos have a massive test ahead of them in Santa Clara. Can they stop the Kittle train, avoid giving up game-changing explosive plays, and finally fluster Brock Purdy? This game is going to tell us a lot about where Denver stands in a rough early-season stretch. It’s a must-watch to see if anyone can crack the Niners’ code.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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