After their comeback victory against the Los Angeles Rams in Sunday Night Footballthe Denver Broncos hit the road to face another formidable NFC West opponent in the San Francisco 49ers. At 3-0, the 49ers sit atop the NFC West and are one of the NFL’s best teams to start the season. Here are three things I’ll be keeping a close eye on for Sunday’s gridiron matchup.
Brock Purdy is on the heater to start the season: Can the Broncos defense find a way to slow him down?
Quarterback Brock Purdy has been terrific to start the season. Through three games, Purdy is completing more than 72-percent of his passes and already has nine touchdowns on the year. He is safe in the football with just one interception so far.
Another week, another tough challenge for Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph and his players. 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan is one of the NFL’s best play-callers and has done a great job of putting Purdy in successful positions. The 49ers’ offense has converted over 60-percent of their third down attempts so far which is the best mark in the league.
Joseph’s defense struggled against Matthew Stafford in the first half last week. However, made good adjustments at halftime to limit their passing attack in the second half. Could they get off to a better start this week? That’s something I’ll keep an eye on and a lot of that comes down to improving their pass rush.
Without Jonathon Cooper and the departure of John Franklin-Myers, Denver’s trench players haven’t been successful getting to the quarterback this season. The 49ers offensive line did a great job protecting Purdy who has yet to be fired for the season. In order for Denver to knock off the undefeated 49ers, finding a way to rattle the fifth-year signal caller will be crucial.
Can Denver establish the run and stop the run?
Everyone across Broncos Country saw how the Rams were able to dominate time of possession in the first half when Sunday Night Football. They had nearly 100 yards rushing in the first half, but for whatever reason, seemed to lose their rushing success in the second half. That was a huge mistake for Sean McVay and I’m confident that Kyle Shanahan won’t repeat it on Sunday.
The 49ers enter Sunday’s game with one of the best rushing offenses in the league. They are averaging over 135 yards per game on the ground and over five yards per carry. Christian McCaffrey and rookie Kaelon Black both performed well. Denver’s defense has struggled to stop the run in the early weeks of the season. That needs to change to win on Sunday.
On the other hand, the Broncos have one of the worst rushing offenses—ranking in the bottom three in total yards and bottom five in yards per carry. It’s hard to pinpoint just one place. Sure, their stable of backs hasn’t been healthy, but the offensive line hasn’t been winning matchups in the blocking trenches like everyone in Broncos Country expected either.
It won’t be easy against a tough 49ers defense, but Offensive Coordinator Davis Webb needs to enter this matchup with a gameplan that involves a strong ground attack. Running out of shotgun formations is a struggle, so I expect Webb and the Denver coaching staff to use some heavier man formations and work more under center to help jumpstart their rushing attack.
Could Denver’s slow start on offense be over?
In the first three weeks, Denver’s offense really struggled to get things going. It’s not just a failed first drive; it was a consistent failure to execute on key downs and situations in the first 30 minutes of game time. At some point in time, the Broncos will have to get off to a fast start and take some of the burden off the defense’s shoulders.
That could be a big challenge for them on Sunday. 49ers Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris executes his players at a high level. They are one of the best in the NFL and allow less than 17 points per game. However, they are below average in stopping their opponents on third down.
How Webb and the Broncos’ offensive coaching staff attack Morris’ defense will be one of the biggest storylines of the game for me. They were a well-rounded group, but they struggled to sack opposing quarterbacks and had issues getting off the field on third down.
In the second half against the Rams, particularly in the third quarter, Webb’s play got better. Denver made some big plays through the air and ran the ball a little more effectively under center. The Broncos will need quarterback Bo Nix and his teammates to perform better than they have to start the season to pull away from San Francisco with their third win of the season.
