The San Francisco 49ers found a way to win a game that kept getting messier, and that might be the most encouraging part of their 24-14 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. They dealt with a sluggish start, a defense patched together by injuries, and a handful of special teams problems, yet still improved to 4-0 and stayed on top of the NFC West.
This one never felt smooth. It felt stubborn.
San Francisco had to burn an early timeout in the first minute because of a personnel mix-up on a third-and-long, but the defense answered by forcing a Denver three-and-out. From there, the first half settled into a slog.
The 49ers opened pinned at their own 5-yard line, moved out to the 36, and stalled. Denver got on the board first when Wil Lutz hit a 52-yard field goal, and San Francisco’s answer was a failed fourth-and-short try deep in Broncos territory.
Even with Dre Greenlaw lining up against his former team and Fred Warner leading a front seven hit hard by injuries, the 49ers kept hanging around. Deebo Samuel kept showing up as the offense’s spark, and Eddy Pineiro tied the game with a 24-yard field goal with 1:36 left in the half.
San Francisco then got another shot after a quick Denver punt, with Brock Purdy guiding the offense into range with 41 seconds and two timeouts left. Pineiro’s 54-yard attempt was blocked as time expired, leaving the game tied at halftime.
The third quarter finally gave San Francisco some traction. The 49ers opened the half with a three-and-out, and safety Marques Sigle briefly left with an injury before Malik Mustafa stepped in, though Sigle later returned.
Then came the swing play: San Francisco’s special teams forced and recovered a Denver fumble in plus territory. On the next drive, a bad snap nearly wrecked a fourth-down attempt, but Kalon Black made the play that kept it alive.
A few snaps later, Purdy found Samuel for a touchdown with 4:15 left in the third quarter, giving the 49ers a 10-3 lead. Christian McCaffrey, playing against the franchise where his father, Ed McCaffrey, built a legacy, helped steady the offense as the second half developed. Denver trimmed the margin to 10-6 early in the fourth with a 40-yard field goal.
The closing period turned physical and tense. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk took a hard shot to the knee with 8:45 left, but San Francisco responded with its best drive of the day.
McCaffrey finished it with a punishing touchdown run to make it 17-6. Denver wasn’t done, though.
After nickel corner Upton Stout exited with a shoulder injury, the Broncos pushed the ball on the ground and punched in a touchdown, then converted the two-point try to cut the lead to 17-14 with less than four minutes remaining.
That set up the knockout blow. With Denver still within reach, the 49ers’ offensive line - which has now gone four games without allowing a sack - opened a huge lane.
George Kittle took a short catch, picked up a block, and turned it into a 56-yard touchdown run. Pineiro’s extra point pushed the lead to 24-14 with 2:15 to go.
Sigle left for the locker room late, forcing Mustafa back into the secondary again, and Denver’s last push ended when Lutz missed a 58-yard field goal wide right. After that, the 49ers simply ran out the clock.
In Other News...
49ers Got The Kyle Juszczyk Injury News They Desperately Needed
Kyle Juszczyks knee injury looked far worse in the moment, but the 49ers avoided the kind of outcome that can reshape a season. The Pro Bowl fullback was hurt against the Broncos and later learned the MRI showed no ligament damage, easing fears around a play that had plenty of people bracing for a longer absence.
Juszczyk is still expected to miss two to three weeks after suffering a hyperextended knee, capsule sprain and minor bone bruise, which likely rules him out for the Seahawks game. Even so, the door is open for a return before the end of October, a useful bit of news for a San Francisco offense that leans on his versatility and physical presence in the run game and around the goal line. [Read more 🡒]
John Lynch Could Have One More Aggressive Move In Mind
The 49ers have been surviving the kind of stretch that tends to test a rosters depth as much as its talent, stacking wins even while dealing with injuries that have complicated the week-to-week picture. That kind of success can make a front office hesitate, but it can also sharpen the sense that the current group is close enough to justify a little more help before the season gets much deeper.
With the November 10 trade deadline looming, John Lynch could still have one aggressive move left to make if he decides the run should be supported rather than merely managed. The names tied to that conversation point in a few different directions, from defensive tackle Daron Payne to wide receiver Quentin Johnston to edge rushers Za'Darius Smith and Khalil Mack, which says plenty about the range of ways San Francisco could try to bolster itself without waiting for the market to come to it. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Injury Report Brings Early Concern And One Intriguing Possibility
The first Week 5 practice brought an early dose of concern for San Francisco, with five players sitting out as the 49ers started preparing for Seattle. Nick Bosa, James Thompson, Kyle Juszczyk, Marques Sigle, and Upton Stout were all absent, while Mykel Williams, Mike Evans and Kaelon Black took part on a limited basis as the team tried to sort through an injury list that already had some familiar names on it.
Williams is the most intriguing piece of the group, since a return to the field could be on the table after he worked his way back from injury. Coach Kyle Shanahan also said Stout is day-to-day with a shoulder issue, which at least gives the 49ers some reason to keep a close eye on the week rather than assume the early absences will define it. [Read more 🡒]