The San Francisco 49ers are unbeaten, but, c’mon, who have they beaten?
A more polite version of that question was posed to tight end George Kittle on Thursday. It was noted that the 49ers’ past two wins have come against the Dolphins and Cardinals – rebuilding teams with first-year head coaches – and their season opener was against … Kittle saw where this was going.
“The Australian Rams,” he said.
The 49ers, of course, get credit for beating the Rams, everyone’s Super Bowl favorite, 27-7 in the season opener in Melbourne. But Los Angeles’ Sean McVay has called himself a “dumbass coach” for his listless team arriving 28 hours before kickoff after a 17-hour flight.
So, the 49ers are 3-0, but …
“That’s a crazy narrative you’re starting,” Kittle said.
The narrative will end Sunday: The 49ers are hosting a quality team, the Broncos, who won’t be sleepwalking after a flight of less than three hours. Yes, the rematch of Super Bowl XXIV should provide a better sense of whether any Super Bowl buzz is warranted after the 49ers’ hot start.
In 2025, the Broncos had a 14-3 season that might have ended in the Super Bowl if Bo Nix, their dynamic third-year QB, didn’t suffer a broken ankle in their divisional-playoff win. Denver (2-1) will arrive Sunday after back-to-back home wins against two 2025 playoff teams, the Jaguars and Rams.
“This is a really good football team,” Kittle said. “They’re coming into our house and they have every expectation to beat us.”
The Broncos had the NFL’s second-ranked defense last year, but they are 29th (380.7 yards per game) this season. The game could hinge on whether they look like their 2025 edition against Brock Purdy, who has become the only QB in 49ers’ history to throw nine touchdown passes in the season’s first three games.
Purdy, the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Month for September, is directing an offense that leads the NFL in third-down conversion percentage (63.0), red-zone touchdown percentage (90.0) and ranks second in points per game (32.7).
“Very efficient,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “He’s making all the throws.”
Payton vs. Shanahan:
How much, you might ask? Well, Payton willingly passed off his playcalling duties this season to Webb, a 31-year-old first-time offensive coordinator, meaning he won’t be the one directly trying to outduel 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
But is that really true? According to Shanahan, whoever technically calls the shots on Sundays is a little bit “overrated.”
“Without me knowing, I guarantee Sean’s a big part of all of that on game day and during the week,” Shanahan said Wednesday. “It’s only been three games, so you can’t really tell yet. I mean, you can see over the course of the year, but sometimes I think that stuff is made too big a deal. … I can’t tell you how much (49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak) is involved in what we do, and I call it so people give me the credit. But if he was calling it, it wouldn’t be much different either.
“We all have a headset, so you can chime in on a lot of stuff anytime.”
Shanahan is correct. Payton will, of course, still play a major role in the Broncos’ offensive game plan. But he won’t be as intricately involved as when he and Shanahan traded blows in a thrilling 2019 shootout between the 49ers and the Saints. Shanahan won that battle 48-46.
The Broncos’ offense has dealt with growing pains to start Webb’s play-calling tenure. They scored just 10 points in Week 1 against the Chiefs and went scoreless in the first half against the Rams on “Sunday Night Football” before exploding for 30 second-half points.
Which version of Denver’s offense shows up will likely decide Sunday’s outcome.
O-Line dominance: The 49ers have yet to surrender a sack through three weeks. The last time they’d gone three straight weeks without allowing a sack: 1979.
The unit will be tested Sunday: The Broncos had 68 sacks last year, tied for the fifth most in NFL history.
Continuity has helped with the 49ers’ early success up front. San Francisco returned four of its five starters this season, and the fifth – second-year left guard Connor Colby – rotated in as a starter last year. This is the third season in a row that Colton McKivitz, Dominick Puni, Jake Brendel and Trent Williams have all started together. Plus, the five up front have remained fully healthy through three weeks.
Asked whether he was aware of the no-sack stat, Colby said, “We don’t really look at our numbers at all, really.”
He later deadpanned: “I mean, our whole job goal is to not let the quarterback get hit.”
While the 49ers’ offensive line deserves the bulk of the credit, Kubiak noted that keeping Purdy upright is an offense-wide effort. Receivers need to know the timing of their routes. Purdy needs to know when to escape the pocket. Tight ends and running backs need to chip block when necessary.
There’s also been “a little bit of luck involved,” Kubiak said. “Brock’s made some great plays, making people miss. So, it’s really a team stat. It has to do with our offense being efficient and staying on track, and so far so good.”
While the “hate on our O-line” has surprised Shanahan in recent years, he hopes they don’t get too much credit for what they have done so far.
“I want everyone to chill out, too, because I know what comes after that,” Shanahan said. “But our guys, I love our O-line. I think they’ve been real consistent for a number of years, and they’re playing really well right now.”
Guessing game: Welcome back, Talanoa Hufanga: Did you enjoy that subtle pregame shot?
Kittle was complimentary of his “instinctual” ex-teammate, but he also noted the Broncos safety can get burned.
“He’s going to guess right once in a while,” Kittle said, “but he also guesses wrong.”
Hufanga, who signed with Denver in 2025 after spending his first four seasons with the 49ers, guessed right in the Broncos’ 30-26 comeback win against the Rams in Week 3. Hufanga had two interceptions, including a 66-yard pick he returned for a touchdown and the game-sealer in the end zone as time expired on Matthew Stafford’s pass from the 19-yard line.
The Broncos are likely happy with their investment after Hufanga earned second-team All-Pro honors last season after he signed a three-year, $45 million deal.
It’s likely Kittle and Hufanga will reunite several times in the Broncos secondary. Kittle has three touchdowns in the first three games after tearing his Achilles in January.
“One of my favorite teammates I’ve ever played with,” Hufanga said of Kittle. “… For a guy to come back after eight months, I was shocked to see him over there scoring touchdowns.”
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This article originally published at 49ers’ 3-0 start inspires questions. Broncos can provide answers Sunday.