ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — A week after defeating an NFC West opponent led by an efficient and productive quarterback, Denver is set for a similar challenge in Week 4.
The Broncos (2-1) will head on the road to take on quarterback Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers (3-0) at Levi’s Stadium. After posting a 2-1 record in September — the best record during the season’s opening month since Head Coach Sean Payton’s arrival in Denver — the Broncos will aim to extend their two-game winning streak in the matchup.
The Broncos will also look to continue their history of October success. The team posted a 4-0 record in October a season ago, and Denver is 10-3 in the month during Payton’s tenure. As the Broncos continue to navigate what Payton describes as “the race to improve,” they will be put to the test against an undefeated 49ers team on Sunday.
“[The] Niners are a hell of a team right now,” defensive lineman Zach Allen said Tuesday. “… It’s going to be a tough battle, but we’re excited for it.”
As Denver takes on the only NFL team that currently has a top-five scoring offense and defense this season, here are three questions that could determine if the Broncos can earn their third win:
CAN THE BRONCOS FIND SUCCESS ON THE GROUND EARLY?
After two consecutive comeback wins over the Jaguars and the Rams, Payton has continued to emphasize the need for a faster start offensively in Week 4 and beyond. According to Payton and Offensive Coordinator Davis Webb, that could start with a more productive and efficient rushing attack.
Through three weeks of the season, the Broncos are averaging 81.0 rushing yards per game, and the team has particularly struggled to find a rhythm on the ground during the first half of games. During the Broncos’ Week 2 and Week 3 wins, the team rushed for 32 and 21 yards in the first half, respectively. And in a Week 1 loss to the Chiefs, the team picked up 23 yards on the ground before halftime.
“I would say this: we haven’t run the ball in the first half of any of those three games,” Payton said Wednesday. “We haven’t run it consistently well enough, clearly.”
Though early deficits have made it difficult for the Broncos to establish a consistent rushing attack, Webb believes Denver is prepared to flip the script in Week 4.
“I think we have to run with a little bit more conviction, for sure,” Webb said. “I think our offensive line has done a good job being consistent in pass pro, giving us some holes. I think we’re very, very close to breaking through in that way, and we’ll see what happens this week.”
Payton said that running back J.K. Dobbins — who leads the Broncos in rushing yards — could continue to embrace a larger role as the season progresses.
“I think he’s ready, and I just think that there’ll be a combination of things that can lead into that, but I’m looking forward to watching him,” Payton said. “There’s a big reason why we brought him back and re-signed him because we saw the skill set and what drives him. He’s very competitive.”
The 49ers rank in the middle of the pack when it comes to rushing yards allowed, as the team is currently surrendering an average of 105.7 yards per game on the ground. If the Broncos can find a way to run the ball well early and sustain drives, they could find success against a 49ers defense that has allowed just 16.7 points per game this season.
“No thinking, see a hole and run through it, full speed ahead,” Webb said of how Denver can run the ball more effectively. “And I think our runners do that, I just think there’s been some times where that can be a little better — and I anticipate that getting better.”
CAN DENVER SLOW DOWN QB BROCK PURDY?
Through three weeks of the 2026 NFL season, San Francisco’s Brock Purdy ranks among the league’s best quarterbacks in several categories.
Purdy — who was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September — leads the NFL with a 133.1 passer rating and co-leads the league with nine touchdown passes. The sixth-year player, who was the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has also posted a 72.3 percent completion percentage through three games.
“He’s playing at a real high level, very decisive,” Payton said of Purdy on Wednesday. “… He’s through his progressions fast. [49ers head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and those guys have done a great job, whether he’s under center or in the gun. The mix of run, play pass and drop back is impressive. You see in three weeks, not only no sacks, [but they’re] first in third down, first in red zone, very efficient. He’s making all the throws.”
Purdy has led a San Francisco offense that has executed at an extremely high level through the first three weeks of the season. As Payton mentioned, the 49ers rank first in third-down percentage and red-zone touchdown percentage, finding the end zone on nine of their ten trips to the red zone. The team also ranks second in the league in points per game (32.7), fifth in total yards per game (399.3) and fourth in first downs per game (23.0).
In addition to Purdy’s passing success, he has rushed for nearly 100 yards and a touchdown, and he is the only starting quarterback with three starts to not be sacked so far this season.
“I think he’s very smart,” cornerback Pat Surtain II said Wednesday. “He understands the offense very well, obviously. But another underrated feature about him is he’s pretty nimble … He can run. When something’s not there, he has the ability to move on his feet which is a very underrated part of his game. But he processes things fast, everything about him — his timing on route concepts and stuff like that. Within that system, he’s doing a great job with it.”
The Broncos have recorded eight sacks through the first three weeks of the season, and players and coaches alike have spoken about the need to earn pass-rush opportunities. Allen said that will be especially important this week against a 49ers team that has been efficient on early downs.
“We can’t control if quarterbacks are just going to throw it,” Allen said. “But if we get off the field on third down, that’s all that matters. Getting the pressure and everything like that, if that leads to turnovers, if that leads to incompletions [that’s positive]. … We pride ourselves on just affecting the game. Certain games call for a lot of sacks, certain games call for trying to get a tip ball or something like that. So, we’ve just got to keep on going, stay the course.”
If the Broncos are able to put Purdy in uncomfortable situations and force him into mistakes and negative plays, it could go a long way in helping to secure a win on Sunday.
CAN THE BRONCOS LIMIT THE 49ERS’ WEAPONS?
As the Broncos aim to contain Purdy, they will also be tasked with limiting a slew of other offensive playmakers including a Colorado native in running back Christian McCaffrey. The three-time first-team All-Pro and 2025 NFL Comeback Player of the Year leads the team with 270 scrimmage yards and has recorded three touchdowns in 2026.
“He is a [Pro Football] Hall of Fame player, and he’s still playing really well, not just in the running game, but in the passing game,” Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said Thursday. “… That’s always tough to have a plan to cover a runner on third downs. Again, they do a great job with scheme to free him up and to get him on those matchups they like. So, it’s our job to kind of find the right matchup and have the right calls intact to leverage him.”
San Francisco’s offense also features wide receiver Deebo Samuel Jr., wide receiver Mike Evans — who was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game — and tight end George Kittle, who has posted 174 receiving yards and three touchdowns through three games.
“They have a good thing going,” Surtain said Wednesday of San Francisco’s offense. “They’re off to a hot start offensively. I think they lead the league in third-down percentage. They throw a lot of stuff at you offensively. It starts with McCaffrey in the backfield and what he is able to do not only in the run game, but in the pass game as well. He’s definitely a threat coming out of the backfield. Then you have Kittle and Deebo and all of those guys making plays for them. They also have good perimeter players. It will be a good challenge on the horizon for us. It’s the same system that we’ve been facing these past two weeks, that same Shanahan and [Rams head coach Sean] McVay system. We just have to be ready and understand how they will try to attack us.”
As the Broncos aim for a quicker start offensively, they will face a fast and physical 49ers defense that also features several game-changing players, including four-time first-team All-Pro Fred Warner.
“He’s prototype,” Payton said of the linebacker. “Height, weight, size, speed. Then you have high football intelligence. When you’re putting certain plays in the plan, you have to think about, ‘How’s this going to impact … Where’s he at?’ Then, ‘How do we plan accordingly?’ … They’ve had a real great run on linebackers there, and he certainly is one that, man, he’s fun to watch when you look at the tape. It all starts with him. He’s the green dot. When you put the athleticism, and the range and the intelligence, all those traits together, you get a real special player.”
Denver could also see former Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who was listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup.
“They’ve played in tandem for a while,” quarterback Bo Nix said of Warner and Greenlaw. “… They’re a really good duo. They play with really good vision, really good in space. They fit their defense really well, and they have for years. They’ve been there for a really long time playing at a high level. I got to know obviously Dre last year. He’s a really good player, a really good guy. I know he’s going to be really excited about this game, and Fred has just been one of the best linebackers in the league forever. It’s going to be a tough task for us. We’re going to have to block them up and get hats on hats and just hopefully not let them wreck the game.”