The San Francisco 49ers are locked and loaded for a massive Week 4 showdown against the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium, with a chance to hit a perfect 4-0 start and make a serious move in the division standings. They’ve been absolutely rolling offensively, top of the league in nearly every key category, especially in the passing game. Brock Purdy? The dude looks like an MVP candidate, completing passes at an insane rate, dropping eye-catching plays weekly, and protecting the ball like it’s gold.
Denver’s Run Defense Is A Total Mess
Hold up, did you see what’s happening with Denver’s run defense? Under Sean Payton, the Broncos used to be generally above average against the run, with Vance Joseph’s defense being elite overall. Last season, they were 16th in EPA allowed per rush. In 2024, they were all the way up at third! But this year? Forget about it. They’re dead last, a pathetic No. 32, one of the only teams allowing a positive EPA per rush. It’s a disaster.
Seriously, remember Week 1? They looked absolutely atrocious against the Kansas City Chiefs, missing a mind-boggling 28 tackles. Kenneth Walker absolutely gashed them for 173 yards and a touchdown on the ground. And it wasn’t a fluke! Bhayshul Tuten carved them up for five yards a carry in Week 2, and Kyren Williams had a huge day last weekend as the Rams collectively averaged five yards per carry. Yeah, the 49ers haven’t been an elite rushing team yet, but Christian McCaffrey finally started to put things together against the Cardinals, averaging five yards per carry. It’s gonna be a tough battle in the trenches, but if San Francisco can win that fight and find some success on the ground, it’ll open up everything else for their pass game.
Unleash Kittle And CMC, Exploit Those Linebackers
This is where Kyle Shanahan gets to be a genius. Denver’s starting linebackers, Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, have not been playing great to start the season. Shanahan has to be circling this matchup on the whiteboard to exploit it, and that means one thing: massive volume for Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.
CMC is already set up for a huge game with those rushing opportunities, especially against a run defense that looks like Swiss cheese. But he’ll also get a ton of looks in the air because Brock Purdy is so good at getting the ball out quickly against that Denver pass rush. And Kittle? Oh man, he’s going to eat against those struggling linebackers. This is a chance for the Niners to make some serious noise by attacking the soft spots, and those LBs are looking like a prime target.
The Broncos have bounced back a bit, comfortably beating Jacksonville and barely getting by the Rams, but this 49ers team is a different beast. They’re 2.5-point favorites for a reason, with the over/under at 47.5 points on what’s expected to be a hot day in Santa Clara. This isn’t just another game; it’s a statement game. Winning this one and getting to 4-0 isn’t just a number, it’s a huge step towards owning that division early in the season. You know they’re gonna bring the heat.
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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