What we learned as huge second half fuels 49ers' win over Broncos, 4-0 start

BOX SCOREThe 49ers were tested Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, and despite a sluggish offensive performance in the first half, they prevailed 24-14 over the Denver Broncos to improve to 4-0. Quarterback Brock Purdy’s 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deebo Samuel broke a 3-3 tie in the third quarter and took the seal off the bottle for the 49ers. Running back Christian McCaffrey added a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, giving the 49ers breathing room. The Broncos got a late fourth-quarter touchdown when quarterback Bo Nix hit Jaylen Waddle for a 13-yard score, but the 49ers iced the game when Purdy completed a short pass to George Kittle and the star tight end turned it into a 56-yard touchdown. KITTLE TAKES IT TO THE HOUSE pic.twitter.com/wT0CwIVbWj — 49ers on NBCS (&commat;NBCS49ers) October 4, 2026 Here are Matt Maiocco’s takeaways from the 49ers’ win:Return of the wide backThe 49ers did not have a whole lot going for most of the game … other than Samuel with the ball in his hands. The 49ers were in danger of going scoreless for the first time since October 2021 when they took over at the 20-yard line with 5:01 remaining in the second quarter. Samuel provided the 49ers’ two biggest gains in the first half with a couple of runs. With his hard-charging style, Samuel rarely goes down on first contact. His 20-yard run helped set up the 49ers for Eddy Piñeiro’s 24-yard field goal attempt late in the first half, tying the score at 3-3. Samuel also had a 22-yard run earlier in the game. Samuel finally got the 49ers into the end zone with a 1-yard reception from Purdy with 4:15 left in the third quarter. Brock and Deebo put the 49ers in front pic.twitter.com/1Qdb6WBVIk — 49ers on NBCS (&commat;NBCS49ers) October 4, 2026 Short-yardage issuesThe 49ers’ offense was shut down in the first half, and a lot of their problems came on short-yardage situations. In the second half, it looked rough, too. But the result was better. They were moving the ball well on their second possession of the game until they were faced with a fourth-and-1 situation. Actually, it was more like 1 1/2 yards. Coach Kyle Shanahan called for a quarterback sneak. Purdy did not even come close to the line to gain, as Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton stuffed him at the line of scrimmage. The 49ers’ next series came to an abrupt end, as well. Running back Christian McCaffrey was stopped for no gain on a third-and-1 play by Denver defensive tackle D.J. Jones. The 49ers entered the game with a 63-percent success rate on third downs, but their short-yardage offense was a problem on Sunday. The 49ers converted a fourth-and-1 situation in the third quarter when running back Kaelon Black grabbed an errant snap and took it straight ahead for a 2-yard gain. The 49ers ended up scoring the first touchdown of the game on that drive. San Francisco extended its lead to 17-6 in the fourth quarter when McCaffrey punched his second try from the 1-yard line. CMC TD pic.twitter.com/k8hNiZjIa9 — 49ers on NBCS (&commat;NBCS49ers) October 4, 2026 Greenlaw fired up vs. BroncosLinebacker Dre Greenlaw signed a three-year, &dollar;35 million contract with the Broncos last year, but things did not go well. Injuries and a suspension limited him to just eight games. Denver released him after just one season. Greenlaw gets fired up for every game, but he brought even more aggression to this one. He made a tackle near the Broncos sideline early in the game and appeared to have words for Denver coach Sean Payton. Dre Greenlaw pointing at someone on the Broncos sideline pic.twitter.com/u1Ln3SD9xZ — 49ers on NBCS (&commat;NBCS49ers) October 4, 2026 Greenlaw was all over the field as the enforcer in the middle of the field. He had a big stop on third-and-4 to hold quarterback Bo Nix to a 3-yard scramble in the third quarter. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris called Greenlaw’s number more often than usual to blitz because the team’s four-man rush had little success getting after Nix. Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

What we learned as huge second half fuels 49ers’ win over Broncos, 4-0 start

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