The Denver Broncos got off to a slow start, suffered some tough injuries, had no luck, and were unable to complete a 4th quarter comeback against the 49ers. It was a tough game, but a winnable one for the Broncos who let them loose late. They are now 2-2 and will have an AFC West Divisional matchup against the Chargers next week to avoid falling below .500.
For the winners and losers, the story is pretty much the same. The offense got off to a slow start, the defense was tight, the penalties sipped, the injuries sipped, the offense came alive late, but the defense couldn’t close it out for the Broncos. So, here are your wins and losses for the Denver Broncos after their 24-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Pat Surtain II – Did not engage and carted off
Riley Moss – Missed the entire second half with a rib injury
Pat Bryant – Carted off with what looks like a bad leg injury
The Broncos caught the injury bug today, and it landed some big names. Surtain II suffered a non-contact injury and had to be helped off the field by two trainers. Not what you want. Riley Moss suffered a rib injury for the second time this season and missed the entire second half. Then, Pat Bryant was carted off with what appeared to be a bad leg injury.
We don’t have updates on their statuses moving forward, but we’ll keep you updated on any injury updates throughout the week.
did he come down It sure looked like it, but at the end of the day, they ruled it out with a fumble and the Niners ball. This led to a 49ers touchdown and turned the momentum in their favor for the rest of the game. The Broncos couldn’t recover from this, and ultimately, this was the point when they lost control of the game.
It’s been a forgettable start to the season for Marvin Mims Jr., who is playing for a new contract this season. He has missed several games due to injury and now has a costly fumble on his ledger.
All the talk this week is about getting off to a fast start. Well, that didn’t happen. They only had 3 points in three quarters before coming alive in the 4th quarter. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late for the Broncos.
Nix was hit or miss throughout the game; the run game wasn’t there until late, and the Broncos’ playmakers didn’t make plays for the most part. They also had no answer to the 49ers’ sending blitz and gave up some rushing pressure across the board.
They can’t keep relying on late 4th quarter comebacks against good teams. They do it well, but it can bite them sometimes, and it did today. It was a winnable game but the Broncos couldn’t get anything going on offense.
We saw some good catches, but that’s the story. We need to see this throughout the game.
The numbers weren’t great, but Harvey was the Broncos’ lone playmaker all game. He had 7 carries for 25 yards but led the team with 10 receptions for 68 yards and also had a nice kick return late.
Again, it’s nothing to write home about, but he’s the Broncos’ most productive running back right now. He makes plays in space, runs hard, breaks tackles, and is better than JK Dobbins who just doesn’t look right.
Dobbins had some nice runs late, but finished with 11 carries for 40 yards and was largely ineffective the entire game. Lots of 3-yard gains and a cloud of dust.
I don’t know if he’s injured or what, but he seems to lack the juice we saw last season. He doesn’t look right, and we need more from him, otherwise the Broncos need to make a change in that running back room.
Rookie Jonah Coleman will be out for at least the next two weeks.
Again, it wasn’t a good day, but he made plays.
2 carries for 7 yards, 2 receptions for 32 yards, and converted a two-point conversion.
He makes a case for more presses going forward. Either way, the Broncos need more from their running back.
It was a tough call for the loser as they played hard throughout, but they fell short when they were last.
They allowed 358 total yards, 218 passing yards, and 140 yards on the ground. They had no answer for Deebo Samuel all game, allowed the Niners to get chunk plays on the ground, and allowed a long George Kittle touchdown late to put the nail in the coffin.
Also, their attempt to lead the NFL in sacks for the third straight season is in jeopardy. Their pass rush has regressed this season and struggled to get consistent pressure on Brock Purdy throughout this game and was unable to bring him down for a sack. Purdy has yet to be sacked this season, and that streak extends to Week 5.
Sutton has long been the Broncos’ WR1, but he’s struggling to get going in the 2026 season. The impact plays weren’t there, and now he has just 1 catch for 4 yards.
Hopes of him giving the Broncos an explosive pairing with Jaylen Waddle now seem dead.
The offensive struggles continue. How long can the Broncos allow him to call the plays before they have to move? They sit at 2-2 and play the Chargers next week and then the Seahawks on a short week.
They need to improve and improve quickly.
Other notable winners and losers
- WR Jaylen Waddle – WON: Caught his first touchdown as a member of the Denver Broncos.
- TE Evan Engram – LOSS: The production is not there.
- CB Jahdae Barron – WON: Make some good plays and will see a lot of playing time going forward it seems.
- DL Zach Allen – WON: A field goal is blocked and disrupts the entire game.
- Story of S Hug – LOST: Whiffed on several tackle attempts.
- EDGE Nik Bonitto/Jonah Elliss/Que Robinson – LOST: We need some pass rush.
- P Jeremy Crawshaw – WON: He has been booming punts all season.
- Penalties – LOSS: 7 flags for 44 yards while the Niners only had 1 for 5 yards.