Denver Broncos: 25 or Under on Sunday Night Football vs. 49ers
In what some will call an “ugly win,” the Denver Broncos beat the Houston Texans, 16-9. In the home debut of Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett, the duo got a win, but it really felt like a loss. Fans booed, counted down the play clock, and let the newcomers know they were displeased with the production.
With a chance at redemption, Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett will be facing off Jimmy Garoppollo and the San Fransisco 49ers, led by a familiar face, Kyle Shanahan. Trey Lance will be out for the rest of the season, when he went down, the 49ers’ offense went up.
Can the Denver Broncos score more than 25 points vs. San Francisco
Jimmy Garoppolo provides a steady face and production that knows how to be a quarterback in the NFL. Trey Lance may figure that out one day, but it won’t be until 2023 at the earliest. Last week the San Fransico 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks, 27-7, a team the Denver Broncos lost to by one point. Both the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers are battling injuries right now.
Jerry Jeudy is looking like he might miss the game Sunday night but Patrick Surtain II is on the right track. Billy Turner took a step back moving from being a full participant in practice to being limited. Quinn Meinerz might play, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him return next week.
K.J. Hamler should be available and will be needed with the lack of depth and NFL-proven wide receivers. Hamler himself has yet to prove he can be a reliable target after missing last season with a torn ACL, but he is the next best thing behind Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy.
For an offense that has had its issues with penalties, turnovers on downs, and Stallings in the red zone, will Russell Wilson-led offense be able to score 25 points against a team that is allowing just 13 points per game?
While the 49ers have not faced world-beating offenses, they still are allowing just 210 yards per game. One thing to keep an eye on is their red-zone defense, the Denver Broncos have infamously struggled here but the 49ers’ defense is in the middle of the pack too.
Allowing a touchdown on 67% of the opposition’s trips, the Denver Broncos have a chance here to flip a national narrative that they can’t finish. What will dictate if this is possible or not will be a battle of the trenches.
Arik Armstead missed Wednesday’s practice, but surrounding him are Nick Bosa, Javon Kinlaw, and Drake Jackson in rotation. Fred Warner is the second line of defense for the 49ers and he may be the best inside linebacker in the NFL. Where the Denver Broncos can take advantage of the San Francisco 49ers is through their secondary. It’s just unfortunate because the Denver Broncos are probably going to be without Jerry Jeudy and they will not get Tim Patrick back all season.
Russell Wilson has an all-time record of 16-4 against the San Fransisco 49ers and is 8-2 against Kyle Shanahan. That is one of the main reasons that I remain optimistic about this game, I think the Denver Broncos can get this done. If they do, it will be because Russell Wilson had the type of game that fans hoped for when he was traded to the Denver Broncos. There will have to be push up front and the offensive line will have to find a way to stop Nick Bosa.
Screens and draws should be utilized Sunday night. Replenish the zones they leave behind and use their pass rush against them.
Prediction: Russell Wilson throws for over 300+ yards and one touchdown, the Denver Broncos have a couple of rushing touchdowns and score 27 points.
How will the Denver Broncos’ defense fare against the San Fransisco 49ers’ offense?
After two weeks, the investment in Randy Gregory has looked like a good one. One thing I underestimated about Randy Gregory is how physical he is. That dude looks terrifying out on the field. Gregory absolutely wrecked Davis Mills last week causing a fumble.
While talking about free-agent acquisitions, how about K’Wuan Williams and D.J. Jones? Both have looked good and will be facing off against their former team in the San Fransisco 49ers. These guys are great tacklers and that is one thing the Denver Broncos needed to add this year.
Tackling seems like such a given seeing as these guys are all professionals, but believe it or not, some defenders just aren’t great at it or they don’t care to. Bradley Chubb and Baron Browning have both been playing at a high level too, forming a terrifying trio of pass rushers for the Denver Broncos. Patrick Surtain II is just as good as any cornerback in the NFL right now.
All of that said, the Denver Broncos will face a guy that presents a different type of issue unlike many in the NFL with Deebo Samuel. Whether it is running or catching the football, Samuel is a tough guy to face. He is fast, strong, and just an overall playmaker. He also has nice chemistry with Jimmy Garoppolo who is returning to the starting lineup of the San Fransisco 49ers.
George Kittle is yet to play this season, he absolutely dominated the Denver Broncos the last time these two teams faced off. It will benefit the Broncos greatly if the talented tight end is not available. If he is not, the attention should be directed at Samuel.
Ronald Darby with his speed is the person I would turn to in this situation, and give him support on the back end if needed. If Patrick Surtain II is available, he can lock down any other threat the 49ers may have. This is a game that the Denver Broncos do not have to have, but I think they take it.
Prediction: Bradley Chubb has a pair of sacks and a forced fumble, along with Baron Browning and Randy Gregory both getting a sack. This helps hold the San Francisco 49ers to 19 points.