Thoughts and notes from 49ers loss to Broncos
The 49ers are 1-2 and it’s pretty clear their offense is a problem following an 11-10 loss to the Broncos on Sunday night in Denver.
It’s the second time this season San Francisco has scored only 10 points.
Here are some thoughts from throughout Sunday’s game:
First quarter
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
– The 49ers white jerseys are so good.
– Man, the inside runs to Deebo Samuel don’t seem sustainable. He got walloped on his first carry early in the first quarter.
– There’s the Jimmy Garoppolo experience. He tried to fit a throw in to a well-covered Brandon Aiyuk and it was nearly intercepted.
– It’s a good thing Garoppolo’s third-down throw got batted down. It was going to be an interception if it didn’t.
– Good start for Dre Greenlaw. He was quick to the flat on a checkdown by Russell Wilson, then flew up for a stop in the run game.
– Deommodore Lenoir came up with the third-down stop to force a Seattle punt on their first drive. Lenoir is in over rookie Samuel Womack who’s been the starting nickel the first two games.
– That was easy. A big 37-yard run by Jeff Wilson Jr. got the 49ers into the red zone. A few plays later it was Aiyuk on the receiving end of a Garoppolo touchdown pass. It’s 7-0, 49ers.
– Spencer Burford was flagged for a false start on third-and-4, then he and McGlinchey had a mix up on a Broncos blitz on third-and-9 that led to a sack of Garoppolo.
– Hey there’s Talanoa Hufanga with a tackle for loss.
– Three consecutive three-and-outs to start the game for the Broncos. Kerry Hyder tipped a third-and-5 throw intended for Jerry Jeudy. Emmanuel Moseley was there to knock the pass away. Great start for San Francisco’s defense.
– A Jordan Mason sighting!
– Sheesh. Garoppolo had Samuel wide open up the sideline and missed him. Whether he didn’t see or didn’t feel comfortable making the throw, he just didn’t pull the trigger. Instead his pass intended for Aiyuk was knocked down. Brutal.
– The final play of the first quarter is Denver’s first first-down of the game. Wilson had all day to throw and found Courtland Sutton for 34 yards. San Francisco’s pass rush has to get home.
End of 1st quarter: 49ers 7, Broncos 0
Second quarter
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
– Kerry Hyder put up his first sack of the year.
– The Broncos get on the board via a 55-yard field goal. That makes it 7-3, 49ers. Nick Bosa nearly had a sack that forced Wilson to abandon the pocket on third down. He was dropped short of the first down.
– Nice find by Garoppolo to hit Samuel down the sideline, but he underthrew it. Samuel takes it to the house if he doesn’t get twisted around catching it.
– Sick punt by Mitch Wishnowsky and an incredible save by Womack to keep it in play and the 49ers down the Broncos at the half-yard line. That’s incredible.
– The 49ers’ linebackers are so dang fast. They’re all over the place.
– Nice pursuit by Drake Jackson to chase down Wilson, but Wilson found Sutton on third down for the conversion.
– The Broncos run game is cruising now. Javonte Williams is up to 42 yards on seven carries.
– Russell Wilson must be a nightmare to defend.
– There’s Jackson! He comes up with a big sack on third-and-16. That’s his first sack and it took Denver out of field goal range. Great work to stiffen up by the 49ers defense.
– Third-and-7 and the 49ers hand it to Samuel to run the half out. They didn’t seem interested in trying to make a play before the end of the half.
Halftime: 49ers 7, Broncos 3
Third quarter
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
– WOW. Nick Bosa gets away with a trip and comes up with a sack against Wilson. They threw a flag, but picked it up for some reason.
– Jordan Mason’s first carry goes for seven yards. Good for him.
– Oof. Garoppolo fumbled a snap at the 50 and Denver recovered. That might swing this game.
– A Kevin Givens sighting! Arik Armstead’s replacement forces his way in for another 49ers sack. Givens has been so good the last few years for San Francisco.
– Oh no. Garoppolo takes a safety by stepping out the back of the end zone. It’s good that he did though since he threw a pick six on the play, but also Trent Williams went down and limped slowly off to the locker room. What an unmitigated disaster.
– The wheels are coming off. The 49ers forced a stop on third down, but Lenoir was flagged for holding. Brutal.
End of 3rd quarter: 49ers 7, Broncos 5
Fourth quarter
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
– Jaylon Moore is at left tackle for Williams and it is not going well.
– Fourth-and-2 from the Broncos 33 and the 49ers settle for a 51-yard field goal instead to make it 10-5, 49ers. Interesting call to not go for it.
– The 49ers need a turnover in the worst way.
– Whewww San Francisco got away with one. Charvarius Ward just got a piece of a deep shot and Jerry Jeudy dropped it. That was an excellent play by Ward.
– Good open field tackle by Greenlaw on Wilson to stop him short of the first down and force a punt.
– Colton McKivitz is in at left tackle now.
– What a freaking catch on the sideline by Kyle Juszczyk. Nice throw by Garoppolo as well.
– A very typical Wilson play. Found room outside the pocket, evaded the rush, and drilled a throw down field on third-and-10 and the Broncos are in business.
– Now Wilson scrambles for a first down on third-and-6. Yikes.
– Denver makes it to the red zone for the first time with 5:30 left in the game. This would be a bad game to lose.
– Easy touchdown for Melvin Gordon III and Denver has the lead. Unbelievable defensive performance by the 49ers is going to waste because their offense can’t put points up. Brutal.
– Sweet catch on an out by Jauan Jennings. It looked like it might go for a pick six, but Jennings snagged it for a big first down. Perfect placement on the throw by Garoppolo. That’s their first third-down conversion. They’re 1-for-10.
– And an interception. Garoppolo tried throwing to Samuel and virtually the entire Broncos defense knew it was going there. Deflection, pick. That could do it.
– Well the 49ers defense got a much-needed stop and because they had all three timeouts they’ll have plenty of time to get in field goal range.
– A Jeff Wilson fumble ends it.
Final score: Broncos 11, 49ers 10
