The San Francisco 49ers may have outrun the Broncos and kept their undefeated streak alive, but Denver’s 52-yard field goal early in the game was a serious shot across the bow. That wasn’t just any kick, it was the first time all season the 49ers’ defense had allowed any points in the first quarter. Talk about breaking a streak!
The Defense Had Its Hands Full Against a Scrambling Nix
Man, the 49ers defense tried to set the tone, kicking things off with a three-and-out, with Renardo Green all over the field on two of those plays. The Broncos thought they had a pass interference call, but the ref wasn’t buying it. Good, right? Not so fast. Even after a monster 57-yard punt pinned Denver deep, Bo Nix got slippery. He used his legs to extend a play and found a running back streaking down the sideline on third down. What happened to the coverage? Raheem Morris dialed up a blitz, sending Dre Greenlaw, but Keion White and Romello Height, who were supposed to be covering, let that guy get wide open! And that set up the Broncos’ first scoring chance. Even with an old friend, Mike McGlinchey, getting flagged for holding, they still managed a 52-yard field goal. That kick? The first points the Niners have given up in the entire first quarter this season. That’s a serious crack in the armor, folks.
The defense did buckle down a bit later, though. After another penalty, Raheem Morris came with the blitz again, getting a free rusher that flushed Nix right out of the pocket. Three-and-out, Denver. But later, during the Broncos’ third possession, things got a little shaky again. Malik Mustapha subbed in for Marques Sigle, and Dre Greenlaw actually missed a tackle that could’ve been big. Then a false start pushed Denver back, but Nix, man, he’s got those legs. He reversed field and scrambled for another first down. Luckily, Mustapha ended up making a great play, breaking up a third-down pass and making a diving stop to force another punt. Still, those moments of vulnerability, they stick with you.
The Offense Stalls, Then Finds a Spark (Almost)
On the other side of the ball, the 49ers’ offense wasn’t exactly lighting it up early either. Their first drive started deep, pinned at the six-yard line. They scraped together a couple of first downs to get some breathing room, but then a Jacob Cowing reverse netted only two yards. Next play, Brock Purdy and Cowing weren’t on the same page, leading to a punt. Ugh, right?
The struggles continued. On their second drive, Deebo Samuel got going at running back, busting through a Talanoa Hufanga tackle for a first down. But on 3rd and 4, they could only grind out three yards. Then, head coach Kyle Shanahan went for it on what was essentially a 4th and 2, attempting a quarterback sneak. Purdy gained absolutely nothing! Two stalled drives in a row, man, that’s not the look of an undefeated team.
Even their third drive, starting at the 12-yard line, was a quick two-minute affair. Brandin Cooks finally got involved, but Christian McCaffrey got stuffed short on 3rd and 1. But hey, just before the two-minute warning, something clicked! Purdy hit Mike Evans for an 18-yard gain, and McCaffrey picked up ten on a short down. Shanahan pulled out the reverse again, this time to the left with Deebo Samuel, and Deebo broke through multiple arm tackles for a HUGE 20-yard gain, setting them up to get points on the board. Purdy found Kyle Juszczyk for another 12-yard chunk, fresh downs! They were on 3rd and goal, Purdy scrambled, but he missed a wide-open Mike Evans in the end zone. Oof. You gotta connect on those, especially when the defense is giving up points.
So yeah, the 49ers ultimately outran the Broncos to keep their perfect record, but this wasn’t some flawless victory. That field goal allowed in the first quarter, the offensive stalls, the defensive wobbles from players like Dre Greenlaw and the missed connections on offense, like Purdy missing Evans in the end zone , those are the details that tell you a different story than just a win. To keep that undefeated streak going, they gotta clean up those moments. We’ll be watching to see if they can tighten things up or if these early cracks start to widen.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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