The 3-0 San Francisco 49ers take on the 2-1 Denver Broncos in an AFC/NFC western clash. After upsetting the highly touted Los Angeles Rams, both teams look to stamp their contender status with another strong win. A victory for the 49ers would help secure their first-place hold on the division while battling through injuries that continue to plague the team. Here are the keys to a win and the positional battles that’ll dictate a victor.
Brock Purdy vs. the Pass Rush
All-Pro and future Hall of Fame LT Trent Williams suffered a scary neck injury last week that proved to be just a scare. Set to suit up Week 4, Williams will be a crucial component as Brock Purdy looks to remain unsacked a month into the season.
The Broncos have led the league in sacks each of the last two years, but currently only rank 9th without their starter, Jonathon Cooper. Still, Nik Bonnito, Zach Allen, and a bevvy of depth provide a fearsome pass rush with All-Pro caliber upside. A young interior offensive line will truly be put up to the test against Allen, a former rival Arizona Cardinal, whose broken out in Denver.
The pass rush itself is one thing, but for Purdy to continue his MVP pace into October, he’ll need to navigate a secondary with perhaps even more talent.
A Banged-Up Receiving Corps vs. an Elite Secondary
A healthy Mike Evans versus Patrick Surtain II would have been quite the sight to see. Instead, Evans contributions may be limited after sustaining a rib injury that took him out of last week’s contest. He’s expected to play, though it’ll be against one of the league’s best, Surtain.
While he may have trouble with this matchup, the good news is that Evan’s availability will likely force Surtain to stick with him. That frees up the receiving corps to face the rest of Denver’s secondary, which is admittedly well stocked beyond their CB1. The bad news is that the 49ers aren’t near full strength, even with Evans in. Stribling or Pearsall would have been quite challenged, but without them it’ll force Deebo Samuel, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins, and newly-signed free agent Brandin Cooks into quite the matchup.
While they’ll have their hands full, the contribution of former 49ers Talanoa Hufanga, reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Week and 2025 All-Pro, could be all the difference. He won’t directly line up over George Kittle or shadow Christian McCaffrey, but his chaotic style will certainly present Kyle Shanahan a challenge.
Christian McCaffrey vs. His Hometown Team
Born and raised in Colorado, Christian McCaffrey will be the primary mismatch against the Broncos. Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker found immense success in Week 1 against this defense, providing a blueprint the 49ers are likely to copy.
Denver prefers to play man coverage when able to, but their linebackers have been sieves against slippery RBs. Allowing nearly 130 rushing yards and another 43 receiving yards per game to opposing backs, this is a potential blowup spot for the Castle Rock native. Against a strong pass rush and secondary, McCaffrey will likely be the early-and-often option, be it in the run or the pass.
That makes George Kittle a major threat as well. A crucial component against the run and pass as well, exploiting the Broncos’ linebackers is going to be the offense’s best bet consistently.
49ers Defensive Line woes vs. Bo Nix
The good news: for as bad as the 49ers have been at stopping the run, the Broncos have been equally as bad at moving the ball on the ground. J.K. Dobbins may find some success, but it’s not likely to be enough to consider selling out to stop it. The game will be in Bo Nix’s hands as a result.
The 49ers will not have Nick Bosa in this game, which unfortunately means the pass rush will be reeling without him. Nix and the Broncos offensive line have been excellent in mitigating pressure over the past two seasons, ranking as one of the best pass-protecting units in both years. Raheem Morris will have to get creative to get pressure on Nix and force errant decisions, which he’s been prone to when hurried. He’s turned it over on average twice per game, though most of that came against the Chiefs in Week 1.
Fred Warner Has True Freedom to Roam
While Hufunga will be busy trying to put out the fires started by Kittle and McCaffrey, Fred Warner on the other side has little to worry about. The Broncos’ run game and TE usage are not particularly strong. While it can be counted on that Warner would erase those threats anyhow, it won’t take an extended effort for him to do so.
It can be argued that Warner has been every bit as good as Purdy has been to start the season. In this matchup, Warner may be the least tested of anyone. As such, Warner has true freedom to roam and make plays. It’s terrifying to think what such freedom could mean for a player of Warner’s caliber, who has nothing holding him back from annihilating whoever comes across him.
In a big game, this could be the one that propels his Defensive Player of the Year case should he make a few game-changing plays.
This is a yin-yang matchup where both teams should expect to dominate their strengths and succumb to their weaknesses. The 49ers should own the middle of the field on both sides of the ball, whereas the Broncos have more comprehensive coverage in the trenches and in the secondary. Sean Payton, Vance Joseph, Kyle Shanahan, and Raheem Morris make for an exciting coaching battle on top of it all. The winner will likely come down to who can press their advantage better and make fewer mistakes.