SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco 49ers used a fourth-quarter touchdown from George Kittle to beat the Denver Broncos 24-14 on Sunday night, climbing to 4-0 with a different kind of win over another marquee opponent. The offense did not hum at its usual level, but the defense mitigated the damage until San Francisco broke through in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Brock Purdy looked like an MVP candidate in Year 5, continuing to draw national praise as a legitimate contender. He has thrown for 1,007 yards with 11 touchdowns and one interception, while his 89.7 QBR ranks first in the NFL. Purdy is not bailing clean pockets nearly as much, showing more trust in his offensive line, which has given him more time to process reads and hit progressions with poise.
Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris called a strong game despite San Francisco entering badly injured along the defensive line against what was presumed to be an elite Denver offensive line. San Francisco regularly won the line of scrimmage in the run game, created pressure situations on Bo Nix, and played aggressively at corner while linebackers flowed freely with clear alignment to Morris's plan.
Receiver play remains the concern that could hold the offense back. Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins combined for 46 snaps, with a lot coming out wide, but both were complete non-factors as Purdy was more hesitant than usual to rip it and checked it down. Brandin Cooks had a rough stretch looking like someone still grasping the playbook, and Mike Evans is clearly lingering as San Francisco is stretched thin at the position.
Kyle Shanahan closed the game with aggressiveness again, not capitulating after Denver cut the deficit to within three. Shanahan could have been more aggressive with the passing game in the first half, but heat and the receiver limitations shaped the early approach. San Francisco then found explosives late behind Purdy and Shanahan's aggressive outlook to cap the win, and now heads to Lumen Field for its third divisional game of the season.