The Denver Broncos saw their two-game winning streak come to a screeching halt at Levi's Stadium on Sunday as the San Francisco 49ers handed them a 24-14 defeat. In the process, the 49ers remained undefeated at 4-0 while the Broncos dropped to 2-2.
It was a defensive battle for much of the game. Tied 3-3 at halftime, it seemed the first team to make a big mistake would end up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. The Broncos were the team to commit that costly turnover and the 49ers made them pay for it.
Still, the Broncos leaned on their ability to come back and drew within 17-14 with just over four minutes to play in the game. They just needed to force a defensive stop. But on 2nd-and-8 from their own 44-yard line, the Niners pulled this off
with just over two minutes remaining in the game:
THERE HE GOES‼️
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 4, 2026
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/QSMFNxWe7L
That proved to be too much for the Broncos to overcome. They will now have to prepare for another road game in the state of California as they face the winless Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday. But before we look any further toward that, let's look at what was good, what was bad and what was downright ugly in this one.
Good, bad and ugly for Broncos vs. 49ers in Week 4
The Good
RJ Harvey in the passing game: The Broncos again struggled to get much going in the running game, averaging only 3.7 yards per carry. But RJ Harvey stepped up in the passing game, catching 10 passes for 68 yards on the day.
Jaylen Waddle finds the end zone: Just when he was about to find himself in the wrong category again this week, Jaylen Waddle caught a 13-yard touchdown pass to draw the Broncos within three points late in the game. It was good to see Waddle finally get into the end zone, making a nice move to do so.
First career TD as a Bronco! 🐧
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 4, 2026
📺: @CBSSports / @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/ljieWF2hX8
The Bad
Stagnant offense: The Broncos can't rely on a fourth-quarter comeback every week, and that was proven in this game. The team just takes way too long to get going.
Having only three points at halftime, it didn't seem like the team made any good halftime adjustments and ultimately wasted another great defensive effort. The Broncos are going to have to find a way to be more explosive on offense and resist getting into these defensive battles every week. It would be a huge benefit to improve the running game as well, as they rushed the ball 22 times in this game and gained just 82 yards.
No pass rush: The 49ers came into this game without having allowed a single sack on the season and they left that way. The Broncos needed to force a sack or two or, at the very least, put enough pressure on Brock Purdy to force an errant throw. They did neither.
The 49ers became the first team since the 2005 Indianapolis Colts to start a season 4-0 without allowing a sack.
Marvin Mims fumble: This was the play that changed the game. After forcing a three-and-out late in the third quarter, the Broncos were set to receive a punt. Marvin Mims caught the ball but coughed it up while going to the ground and Siran Neal of the 49ers recovered.
SIRAN NEAL WITH THE RECOVERY‼️
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 4, 2026
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/WFqXRfNQB6
Marvin Mims was DOWN.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevens) October 4, 2026
But they are calling it San Francisco ball.
Replays showed that it may not have even been a fumble, but it was too close to overturn the call on the field. The 49ers cashed that in with the game's first touchdown and never looked back.
The Ugly
It's rare that there is anything worse in defeat than the loss itself, but in this game, three key Broncos players all left with what could be serious injuries.
Pat Surtain II went down with a non-contact ankle injury and had to be helped to the locker room. The team's other starting cornerback, Riley Moss, left with a rib injury. This left the Broncos with Jahdae Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine to finish the game at the corner spots.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Pat Bryant suffered what clearly seemed to be a devastating ankle injury following a 30-yard reception in the late stages of the third quarter. Bryant had to be carted off the field, which leaves fans nervously wondering if he'll be back on the field anytime soon.
Depending on the severity of these injuries, the Broncos' entire season could have completely changed on Sunday.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: The good, the bad and the ugly from Broncos’ loss to 49ers
