On Sunday night, the 49ers lost to the Denver Broncos in prime time. However, after head coach Kyle Shanahan watched his team fight in a playoff-like atmosphere, there should be both positive and negative takeaways. Let’s see what we’ve learned from week 3 below.
What else can DeMeco Ryans do?
This The Broncos are the only NFL team in the past 30 years Win a game even though they have at least 8 more 3-and-outs than their opponents.
Ryans’ defense forced the punt. Nine drives ended up 3-and-out. Denver held a paltry 3.1 yards per carry on 33 attempts, and Javonte Williams’ 16-yard rush was the longest of the day. Level 2 does a decent job of limiting explosive passes. Courtland Sutton’s 34-yard catch came in coverage of the man, a tough call for a cornerback. Kendall Hinton’s 22-yard catch was the result of a brief scramble.
In the first three weeks, San Francisco was third in defensive rating and second in yards allowed. The entire unit has been lighting out to start the season. However, they are eyeing a potential 1-3 start.
Next week, they face their divisional rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, and must find a way to cut ties between Matthew Stafford and Cooper Cooper. It may take another massive performance on the defensive end to keep the game within reach.
He is who we think he is.
Sunday’s loss is exactly why I say the weight of Jimmy Garoppolo’s future. It came as a quarterback. They were blamed because they controlled the offense. His absence from preseason and training camp has impacted receivers’ schedules.
Missing Deebo Samuel in stride forced him into a touchdown. The Niner’s offense couldn’t take advantage of the 37-yard advantage and let a huge momentum slip away from them.
Garoppolo’s turnovers in the back of the end zone were the difference in the game. The stupid move is unforgivable, but Shanahan’s call to center screen on the two-yard line in San Francisco didn’t do him any favors.
On a chance to win the game, Garoppolo threw a coverage of the Cover 1 Bandit to the crowded Samuel, a report he had historically struggled to read. This week was no exception. His blockade interception is frustrating, and it also gives the impression that the nine-man team’s offensive ceiling is not high. They needed a spark from their quarterback in the fourth quarter to start a lacklustre offense, which Garoppolo couldn’t do.
Running game bogged down, penalties and turnovers
Jeff Wilson’s 37-yard run deflected San Francisco’s total by 4.6 yards. Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero suppressed Shanahan’s run game with the Bears forward and lowered the safety to load the box. Denver’s defense also robs San Francisco of a strong offense when Deebo Samuel is in the backcourt.
San Francisco reduced its free throws to seven on Sunday (four on offense, three on defense) for 40 yards. Yards are down from last week, but penalties for offensive stops. Jake Brendel, Mike McGlinchey and Spencer Burford all had penalties. With Trent Williams out, the offensive line will have to get tighter.
This is the second week in a row we’ve seen a bad center-quarterback swap. Garoppolo recovered last week’s miss, but Robbie Gould’s kick was blocked and returned for a touchdown on the next play.
The turnover of the week came in the opening game of the second half, killing momentum after the Broncos had three outs. I talked about Garoppolo’s interception, which allowed Shanahan’s offense to turn the ball over on consecutive drives to end the game. It’s brutal to watch. The game was already a tough one, with two errors to finish the game that killed any joy of the season. I’m a bit dramatic, but this team should be more disciplined and have a Super Bowl-caliber lineup.