Broncos Inept Offense Leads To 24-10 Loss To Niners

The Denver Broncos continued to show they’re not ready for another prime-time season as they couldn’t run the ball or score points in their 24-10 road loss against the San Francisco 49ers. 

This was another game that could be summed in a single sentence: The defense showed up, but the offense didn’t. 

The first half was a mostly defensive battle with flashes of offense as the two teams swapped field goals. The Broncos scored first late in the first quarter via a field goal, with the drive covering 55 yards in 13 plays. The big play was a 25-yard pass from quarterback Bo Nix to running back Tyler Badie, but the drive stalled in 49er territory and the result was a 52-yard field goal from kicker Wil Lutz. 

The 49ers matched that field goal with one of their own in the second quarter, as they drove the ball 74 yards on 12 plays, but the Broncos stiffened in the red zone to force a 24-yard field goal from Eddy Pineiro to make it 3-3 at the half. 

The turning point occurred in the third quarter via a lost fumble from return man Marvin Mims Jr., and San Francisco finished off a short drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to Deebo Samuel Sr. to give the Niners a 10-3 lead after three quarters. 

The feeble Broncos offense managed a field early in the fourth to cut the lead to 10-6, but the Niners countered with a touchdown drive, with running back Christian McCaffrey taking it in from a yard out to open up a 17-6 San Francisco lead. 

Nix gave Broncos fans a brief moment of hope with a late TD drive that cut the lead to 17-14, as he hit receiver Jaylen Waddle from 13 yards out and a two-point conversion made it 17-14. But San Francisco put the game away for good on a 56-yard catch-and-run from Purdy to tight end George Kittle, and another comeback was far beyond what Denver’s popgun offense could manage. 

Nix finished 25 for 42 for 214 yards and a touchdown pass, but the lack of a running game and big plays was noticeable. The Broncos looked mostly outmatched in this one, and the big question now will be whether coach Sean Payton will take back the play-calling chores as the Broncos dropped to 2-2 and third place in the AFC West.