Oct 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos center Manny Ramirez (66) prepares to hike the football across from San Francisco 49ers defensive end Quinton Dial (92) in the first quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
After a thrilling come from behind win over the Houston Texans, the Broncos play a home game for the first time in the 2015 season when the San Francisco 49ers visit the Mile High City.
The Denver Broncos carry a 2-0 record in the preseason and will be enjoying the comforts of their home field for the next few weeks as the team does not travel again until September 17th.
The Broncos and 49ers meet for the third straight preseason. The Broncos rang in the opening of Levi’s Stadium with a 34-0 victory in preseason last year. They would then beat them in the regular season 42-17 in a game that saw Peyton Manning throw his record breaking touchdown.
This game is going to be huge for both teams as this game will be treated as a dress rehearsal. On Tuesday September 1st, both teams will be required to trim their roster to 75 players. For some players, this will be their final game in either uniform.
The Denver Broncos have hosted the San Francisco 49ers in joint practices this week. Both teams had a pretty solid practice together while both sides seemed to remain calm. Now they conclude their time together with a preseason game.
In this game, it would be implied that we will see the first team for the majority of the game. However, it would not surprise me at all if Gary Kubiak decides to pull Peyton Manning after a few series in order to get him ready for the regular season.
This means that there could be a chance that Brock Osweiler plays quite a bit in this game. This preseason game will be a huge chance for him to rebound from his performance last Saturday. He was not bad, but the pick six put his team behind.
August 14, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman (23) runs the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half in a preseason NFL football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
We will also get to see a bit of Ronnie Hillman, who has been the surprise from Broncos camp this season. He already has 120 yards rushing in limited action in his first two games. But the San Francisco 49ers have a running back of their own that is putting the league on notice.
Jarryd Hayne has been really turning heads this preseason. And he is only three yards behind Ronnie Hillman. The former rugby star figures to play quite a bit in this game. It will be up to the defense to keep him at bay.
Both sides will figure to learn a lot about their teams during this game. I look for it to be a hard fought game with players on both sides fighting hard to play another week.