The Broncos are heading into Broncos Vs 49ers with a problem that has only gotten sharper through three weeks: Brock Purdy has not taken a sack, and San Francisco has paired that protection with a passing game that has been nearly impossible to slow down. Denver’s defense is coming off a Week 3 showing that included 24 pressures on Matthew Stafford, but it will need something close to that again to make this one lean its way.
This series has never offered either side much margin for comfort. The Broncos and 49ers have met 16 times and each team has won eight, and Denver took the most recent game, 11-10, in a contest where neither offense crossed 300 yards and Russell Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo were each sacked four times. That history matters now because Denver is looking at a San Francisco attack that has been efficient from the start and a quarterback whose early numbers belong to a very small club.
Purdy is one of only three quarterbacks since 1990 to avoid a sack through the first three games of a season, joining Peyton Manning and Andy Dalton. The 49ers’ offensive line has allowed a 22.5% pressure rate, one of the best marks in the NFL, and Purdy also leads the league in most measures against the blitz with a 155.2 passer rating. Sean Payton called him “playing at a real high level,” said he is “very decisive,” and added that he is getting through his progressions quickly. Payton also praised Kyle Shanahan and his staff for the way they mix run, play pass and dropback concepts, saying the 49ers are first in third down, first in red zone and very efficient through three weeks.
That is where Denver’s challenge becomes less about one good pass-rush outing and more about whether it can repeat the conditions that made Stafford uncomfortable. Nik Bonitto is expected to see Trent Williams if Williams plays, and Zach Allen has already produced 12 pressures and three sacks, giving the Broncos the kind of front-line disruption they will need if they are going to speed Purdy up. But San Francisco has also benefited from the schedule: the 49ers’ offense has been rolling while facing two of the league’s weakest defensive lines, so Denver has a real chance to show whether those numbers travel when the blocking gets tougher.
The other side of the equation may be even less forgiving for the Broncos. Their running game has been the second-worst in football through three weeks, with only the Green Bay Packers averaging fewer yards on the ground at 48.7 per game. J.K. Dobbins has not looked like himself, RJ Harvey has missed time, Jonah Coleman is on injured reserve, and the offensive line has not created enough holes to keep the attack on schedule. That leaves Denver leaning on a defense that has to win again against a quarterback who has not been sacked and a San Francisco front that rarely gives opponents easy access to the backfield.
Patrick Surtain II framed the matchup the way the Broncos have to see it: Christian McCaffrey is a threat coming out of the backfield, and George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and the other San Francisco playmakers can hurt defenses over the middle. If Denver cannot speed up Purdy, the game tilts toward the 49ers’ rhythm offense quickly. If it can, the Broncos may at least give themselves a shot in a matchup that has usually been decided by a few plays and very little room for error.
