49ers @ Broncos Week 3 Sunday Night Live Blog
DENVER -- This is the live blog of the San Francisco 49ers Week 3 Sunday night game against the Denver Broncos. I will update this frequently with information and analysis from the press box.
3:39 This is an interesting matchup, because both teams are 1-1, the Broncos are at home, and yet everyone seems to be picking the 49ers to win -- including me. I think they should win 23-13. But the Broncos have a terrific defense, two good running backs and Russell Freaking Wilson, who is 17-4 against the 49ers in his career. You'd think more people would doubt the 49ers this week and pick against them. The 49ers always seem to play their best when people doubt them, and usually play their sloppiest when everyone expects them to win. Will they be sloppy tonight?
Wilson might not scramble much anymore, but he still is one of the best deep passers in the NFL, so he will take lots of shots deep. That doesn't mean he'll hit them, but he could get the 49ers defenders to committ pass interferences and holding penalties. The 49ers will lose this game if their defense commits lots of silly mistakes as it did Week 1 in the 49ers loss to the Bears.
On offense, I'm curious to see if Jimmy Garoppolo throws the ball downfield as he says he wants to do more often this season. Or will Kyle Shanahan force Garoppolo to throw nothing buts slants and screens like usual? Stay tuned.
3:54 Here are the 49ers' inactives:
Arik Armstead
Ty Davis-Price
Kemoko Turay
Daniel Brunskill
Nick Zakelj
Tyler Croft
5:20 The Broncos win the toss and defer. The 49ers will receive the ball first.
FIRST QUARTER
5:22 Ray-Ray McCloud returns the opening kickoff 8 yards to the SF 10.
5:26 On 2nd and 9 from the Broncos 26, Jimmy Garoppolo stares down Brandon Aiyuk and nearly throws an interception. On 3rd and 9, Garoppolo targets George Kittle but D.J. Jones knocks down the pass at the line of scrimmage. Then Mitch Wishnowsky punts 45 yards to the Broncos 29.
5:31 On 3rd and 8 from the Denver 31, Russell Wilson completes a 1-yard pass to Jerry Jeudy, and the Broncos go 3 and out. The 49ers take over at their 25.
5:37 On 2nd and goal from the 3, Garoppolo throws a touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk, who ran a quick slant route. Beutiful touchdown drive. Garoppolo also had a 20-yard completion over the middle to Aiyuk, plus Jeff Wilson Jr. had a 37-yard run up the middle.
49ers 7, Broncos 0.
5:44 On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 33, Russell Wilson throws a one-hopper, and the Broncos 3 and out again. They have no first downs so far. The 49ers take over at their 19 after a 9-yard return by Ray-Ray McCloud.
5:49 On 3rd and 4 from the SF 41, Spencer Burford commits a false start. Next play, Burford gets beat, Garoppolo steps up and gets sacked by Josey Jewell. Garoppolo completed his first pass of the drive for 16 yards, so naturally Shanahan called two straight runs after than and the 49ers drive stalled. The Broncos take over at their 20 after the punt.
5:54 On 3rd and 5 from the Denver 25, Kerry Hyder tips Wilson's pass at the line of scrimmage and it falls incomplete. The 49ers take over at their 25.
6:00 On 3rd and 3 from the 49ers 49, Patrick Surtain breaks up a pass intended for Aiyuk, and the 49ers punt. Garoppolo completed an 18-yard pass to Deebo Samuel, then Shanahan called back to back runs to bring up third down. Weird. The Broncos take over at their 6.
6:04 Emmanuel Moseley gives up a 34-yard catch to Courtland Sutton, and the first quarter ends. Wilson had forever to throw.
SECOND QUARTER
6:09 On 3rd and 8 from the 49ers 39, Russell Wilson scrambles for two yards while Nick Bosa draws a holding penalty, but the 49ers decline it. Then the Broncos make a 55-yard field goal. I would have taken the penalty, pushed the Broncos out of field goal range and brought up 3rd and long. Strange decision.
49ers 7, Broncos 3.
6:18 On 3rd and 9 from the 49ers 48, Garoppolo throws a quick pass over the middle to Deebo Samuel who gains five yards and gets blasted. He stays down for a minute, the gets up and walks off the field by himself. He seems OK. Garoppolo completed a 32-yard pass to Samuel on the first play of the drive -- Samuel was wide open deep against a linebacker, but Garoppolo underthrew him. A better pass likely would have result in a touchdown.
6:25 Samuel Womack downs the punt at the Denver 1-yard line.
6:33 On 1st and 10 from the 49ers 28, Talanoa Hufanga blitzes and tackles Melvin Gordon for a loss of 6. Two plays later on 3rd and 16, DeMeco Ryans calls another blitz, and this time Drake Jackson sacks Wilson. Nice aggressive play calls by Ryans once the Broncos got into 49ers territory. The 49ers take over at their 3 after the punt.
6:41 On 3rd and 4 from the SF 9, Garoppolo srambles for a first down, but Mike McGlinchey commits a holding penalty. On 3rd and 9, Garoppolo sails a screen pass over Jauan Jennings' head, and the 49ers punt from their end zone. The Broncos take over at midfield with 1:32 and two timeouts remaning in the first half.
6:45 The Broncos commit a false start and a hold back to back, then punt from midfield. The 49ers take over at their 11 with 1:00 and two timeouts remaining.
6:52 On 3rd and 7 from the 49ers 14, Shanahan calls a run between the tackles for Deebo Samuel, who gains one yard while taking at least three vicious hits, and the first half ends. Never change, Kyle.
7:00 Halftime analysis: If Garoppolo ever would set his feet and transfer his weight, he might throw fastballs instead of sinkers.
7:07 Azeez Al-Shaair is out with a knee injury.
THIRD QUARTER
7:10 Nick Bosa sacks Wilson on 2nd and 6, and one play later the Broncos go 3 and out. The 49ers defense has been phenomenal so far. The 49ers take over at their 43 after an 18-yard return by McCloud.
7:14 On 2nd and 8 from midfield, Garoppolo fumbles the snap and the Broncos recover.
7:16 First play, Kevin Givens sacks Wilson for a loss of six. Then the Broncos go 3 and out again. After the punt, the 49ers take over at their 2.
7:21 On 2nd and 10 from the 2, Jimmy Garoppolo drops back out of the back of the end zone, which is a safety. He just committed a Dan Orlovsky.
49ers 7, Broncos 5.
7:22 Trent Williams is injured. They're bringing out the cart for him, but he decides not to use it and walk off the field by himself.
7:34 The Broncos miss a 53-yard field goal wide right. The 49ers take over at their 43.
7:40 On 2nd and 10 from the Denver 39, backup left tackle Jaylon Moore gives up a sack for a loss of 8. On 3rd and 18, Garoppolo doesn't set his feet and throws off his back foot downfield to Aiyuk, who's open, but the pass sinks and dies. The Broncos take over at their 4 after the punt.
7:43 The Broncos go 3 and out again. The 49ers almost picked him off on first down, then they stripped Melvin Gordon on second down but Wilson recovered. The 49ers take over at the Denver 41 after the punt.
FOURTH QUARTER
7:48 On 2nd and 10 from the 41, Garoppolo throws a deep pass to Jennings, who juggles the ball and doesn't catch it. Next play, Garoppolo checks down to Wilson for 8. Next play, Robbie Gould makes a 51-yard field goal.
49ers 10, Broncos 5.
7:56 The Broncos go 3 and out again. They decide to punt on 4th and an inch from their 34. Hilarious. After the punt, the 49ers take over at their 13.
7:57 Trent Williams is out with an ankle injury.
7:59 On 3rd and 3 from the 49ers 4, K'Waun Williams breaks up a pass intended for Samuel over the middle, and the 49ers punt. Kyle Juszczyk made a 24-yard catch on the first play of the drive, and the 49ers get nothing to show for it.
8:11 On 2nd and goal from the 1, Melvin Gordon plows into the end zone for the touchdown. Wilson hit a 27-yard pass on 3rd and 10 to keep the drive going. Now the Broncos are going for 2.
8:12 Javon Kinlaw knocks down Wilson's pass on the 2-point attempt with 4:10 left.
8:13 That was a 12-play, 80-yard drive that took up 6:04. The 49ers defense is getting tired. The offense will have to do something to win this game.
49ers 10, Broncos 11.
8:18 On 1st and 10 from the 49ers 48, Garoppolo forces a pass over the middle and it gets tipped and intercepted by Jonas Griffith. What a horrible pass by Garoppolo.
8:22 The Broncos run three times and go 3 and out while forcing the 49ers to use two of their three timeouts.
8:23 McCloud muffs the punt, but recovers it at the SF 15 with 1:42 remaining.
8:25 Garoppolo completes a pass to Wilson, who gets the ball stripped from him and the Broncos recover. What an embarassing performance by the 49ers who will lose 11-10. Stay tuned for their grades.
