The San Francisco 49ers just rolled over the Denver Broncos by double digits at home. After a slow start that probably had some fans biting their nails, the offense finally clicked and ended the game with three straight touchdown drives. But let’s be real, the real story here was the defense, man. They absolutely stuffed the Broncos all game long. This was a *huge* bounce-back after a shaky fourth quarter in Week 3, and it shows they can close out games.
Offense: Purdy Was Just Along for the Ride, McCaffrey Grinded It Out
So, about the offense. Brock Purdy got a “B” grade, but honestly, it didn’t feel like a “Purdy game.” He was kinda hovering around 50% completion percentage early on, which, yikes, before he finished strong, going 9-of-10. He didn’t have those “wow” plays we’ve seen from him, but did he even need to? The dude scrambled for a first down and used his legs to hit Kyle Juszczyk for another much-needed first. He escaped a couple of sacks, too. Still, his target accuracy was only 70%, putting him 17th for the week. He didn’t lose the game, but he didn’t exactly win it either.
Christian McCaffrey, though? He’s a beast. His first carry saw him making Talanoa Hufanga miss. Later, on a 3rd and 1 in the second quarter, he busted out a 10-yard gain when 90% of other running backs would get, like, one. Yeah, he got stuffed four times, but those were mostly when Denver had the perfect run blitz or Zach Allen just did Zach Allen things in short-yardage. McCaffrey ended up with a pair of missed tackles and only a 26% success rate, but my eyes tell me he ran *way* better than that stat line suggests. Next Gen Stats had him at +7 in rushing yards over expected, and honestly, that feels low. Kaelon Black had a rough outing with just six carries, bouncing a run he shouldn’t have on 3rd-and-short and looking indecisive on half his carries. Don’t be surprised to see Deebo Samuel get more looks in the run game, especially after his 22-yard counter where he just ran right through Hufanga’s tackle attempt, and then a 20-yard reverse.
And can we just talk about Kyle Juszczyk for a sec? He is literally one of those guys you cannot replace. The 49ers trust him to do *everything*, from blocking defensive ends and linebackers to making himself available for a catch after sprinting across the field. That trust level is through the roof, and they’re gonna miss him, even if it’s just for two games.
Defense: Shut ‘Em Down Cold
This is where the Niners really made their statement. After a pretty shaky Week 3, the defense came out swinging and *completely* shut down the Broncos. They kept Denver locked in their stall for the entire game. This kind of performance is exactly what you want to see from a championship-caliber defense. It wasn’t just a win, it was a *statement* win from the defense, showing they can respond to adversity and dominate.
This was a double-digit win at home, and the defense was the backbone. That’s the kind of gritty football that wins you games when the offense isn’t firing on all cylinders from the jump. You gotta love to see it.
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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