Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos' GAUNTLET Continues With Huge Week 4 Test vs. 49ers

Starting point is 00:00:00 We got a big one in week four. It's the 49ers and the Denver Broncos storylines, the key matchups, and who's going to come out on top on today's Locked on 49ers? Locked on Broncos crossover. You are Locked on NFL crossover, part of the Locked on Podcast Network. Your team every day. Welcome to another Locked on podcast network crossover. Brian Peacock here of Locked on 49ers, third home game in a row.

Starting point is 00:00:35 for the 49ers hosting Sarah Bedinger and Locked on Broncos. I can't wait for this one. It's going to be a really good test for the 49ers. I think it's going to be a good test for the Denver Broncos. I think week four is going to go a long way to informing us about both of these football teams, Sarah. And so I'm excited to get into all the storylines

Starting point is 00:00:54 and the key matchups in this one today's episode of Locked on 49ers and Locked on Broncos. Brought to you by Fanduel. Make this your most rewarding season ever with Fandual Rewards Club. Every week, check the Fanduel app to see. what's waiting inside for you. Sarah, how are you doing? How are you guys feeling about the big comeback win,

Starting point is 00:01:13 doing us a favor? Our old buddy, Tanoa Hufanga, helping us out here with the San Francisco 49ers and the Broncos knocking off the Rams last week, giving them their second loss of the season. I know, I absolutely love it, man. I know we were all cheering for the Broncos together, hopefully this last week.

Starting point is 00:01:31 And Hufanga, man, what an addition he's been to this team. He actually won A. defensive player of the week for that game. So handing Matthew Stafford his record setting pick six. I know that one, you know, 49ers fans drink that one down smooth because you love hearing anything negative about, I'm sure, the Rams and Matthew Stafford and things like that. But honestly, like, this has been one of my most anticipated games. Broncos country, we love Kyle Shanahan.

Starting point is 00:02:00 We wish we had Kyle Shanahan dating back to 2017. So anytime you get a chance to go against Kyle and just the ties that bind through these two franchises, I feel like it's always a fun matchup. I feel like even though they play very often, it's something that I always look forward to. And I always enjoy watching, obviously Christian McCaffrey, another Broncos tie that binds there with his dad. But it's just a great couple of teams, powerhouses in their respective conferences. But I think two teams that kind of slept on going into this season a little bit. Yeah, everyone forgot how good these teams were.

Starting point is 00:02:35 And all the talk was about the super team of the Rams and the defending champion, Seattle Seahawks, the Patriots, who didn't have to face the full power of what the Broncos could bring in the AFC championship game. I think the 49ers and the Broncos kind of reminding people right now who they are and to be reckoned with. And so this is going to be a really fun one at Levi's Stadium on Sunday. But I'm sure, Sarah, you would probably prefer. the Broncos to maybe score in the first half and not have to come back against the San Francisco 49ers in this one, because this has been the Niners M.O. this year is getting points on the board early and making their opponents one dimensional. Gosh, that sounds so nice. That must be nice,

Starting point is 00:03:18 to have those leads built early. That's exactly right. I mean, and yes, when the schedules came out, everybody in Broncos country knew you're running a gauntlet for the first six, seven weeks of the season. I mean, obviously they've played the Rams, but they just played the Jaguars before that. They played the Chiefs in week one. And then after this, they play the Chargers. They play the Seahawk. I mean, it doesn't get any easier. And it's not easy right now.

Starting point is 00:03:41 But yes, if I had my choice, if I had, you know, the opportunity to say, hey, what do you want? We'll give it to you on Sunday. I'd love a blowout win. I mean, it would just be nice to be able to sit back and relax a little bit, not have to pick a lucky place to stand or sit watching the game and be like, okay, they're doing good. I'm staying right in this spot. I'm not getting up for anything. You know, we've had so many of those nail biters,

Starting point is 00:04:03 those hair pulling victories where it's just like, man, this team, they're resilient, they're exciting, they're fun, but they're nerve-wracking. And they're putting gray hairs on my head. And I just feel like, man, it's tough. It's tough, but you're not going to complain about winning, certainly. Yeah, it's been kind of the other way for the 49ers this year with the way they've played. And you get the Goofy Rams game in Australia in week one. they were clearly not prepared for that one.

Starting point is 00:04:30 And who knows, maybe the Rams just aren't that good because they lost another one last week. And so, you know, maybe the Rams are just more mediocre than we expected for that, the off-season super team, which is like the off-season, the team that wins the off-season, their historic record in the regular season is awful compared to expectations. It's not just the Rams this year. And I think the Rams will be pretty good.

Starting point is 00:04:52 But, you know, then you get the dolphins if you're the 49ers. And then last week, it was the Arizona Carls. and Fred Warner actually probably had the quote of the week after the game. He was like, well, at least it felt like a real NFL game and we weren't resting starters in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals. So at least somewhat of a football game, even though, to be honest with you, it didn't feel like that much of a game and felt like the Niners were going to run away with it. And so I think for that reason, potentially the 49ers could be running into, and we talked

Starting point is 00:05:20 about it off the air, potentially 49ers fans. I will warn 49ers fans. Niners aren't just going to walk through every football team for 17. weeks for 18 weeks of this season, there's going to be some good contests and some hard-fought battles. And I think this is probably the biggest test yet for the 49ers, a real barometer game, I think, for both the Broncos and the 49ers. So I can't wait for this one on Sunday. As Fred Warner would say, this is going to be a real NFL game and it will probably be even more real than what the 49ers saw last week against the Arizona Cardons. Yeah, and it's one of those things

Starting point is 00:05:52 where the biggest storyline for the Broncos is getting off to that fast start, right? And it's not just starting fast in terms of, hey, you need to go score on the first drive and all of a sudden now everything's just going to be peachy from that point. It's figuring out a way to combine starting well and finishing well like they have been. I mean, the Broncos finishing games, the way that they have has come out of pure desperation. So everybody's kind of asking the same question, how good can this team be if they can actually do something in the first half? I mean, their own players are caught on NFL films saying, why can you?

Starting point is 00:06:27 can't we do this in the first half, right? And that is the, as Sean Payton says, the $6 million question. And it just comes down to execution. We've seen against the Rams, against the Jaguars, dating back to last season against Buffalo, against plenty of other teams, like even the best teams, that the Broncos don't struggle with an ability problem. They struggle with an execution problem. You've got a first year play caller out there, Davis Webb. You've obviously got Sean Payton kind of trying to make sure he's not micromanaging all this stuff. And then you have a lot of the have a young core of offensive players that has kind of come up together and everything is just a little off, you know, in some ways. And so figuring out a way to start well, I won't even

Starting point is 00:07:07 say start fast, although that's the vernacular that's been used, starting well and actually proving, you know, early in games that you're a legitimate contending team, I think is the biggest thing for the Broncos going up against team like the 49ers. Where we at with Davis Webb as a play caller? Because you have Sean Payton in the building. It's like, for the 49ers, I couldn't Imagine, you know, it's one thing for Kyle Shanahan to let Clay Kubiak call plays in the preseason. No one else is calling plays in the regular season, right, or the playoffs. And so where are we at right now? Davis Webb is a play caller.

Starting point is 00:07:38 And did Sean Payton take over play calls in the second half? Did I hear that? What's going on? No, he didn't. I guess I don't know for a fact, but I know that from what Sean has said he didn't. So, I mean, that's, I think right now it's TBD with Davis Webb. right? It's like, you know, everybody's back to school right now. You get your first quarter report cards back. And I mean, that's kind of what it is. It's TBD. Like you still got the whole second quarter of the first semester and yada yada.

Starting point is 00:08:09 Davis Webb is very much TBD in that regard. But we saw, I mean, even in some of the struggles in the first half, setting up some plays later in the game and utilizing similar play calls and, you know, kind of playing that chess match. So I think he's trying to find his flow. He's trying to find his rhythm. I think he does a good job. of picking plays, you need the players to go out there and execute those plays. We'll talk about some of those players. What are these key matchups in week four between the 49ers and the Broncos that might decide this thing and then maybe make a prediction or two about how we think things are going to go in week four between the 49ers and the Broncos next. Today's episode is brought to you by Fanduel.

Starting point is 00:08:49 And wow, welcome to your most rewarding NFL season ever, only on Fanduel. How rewarding are we talking? More rewarding than a touchdown with time expiring. more rewarding than an 18-point comeback, even more rewarding than watching your rival throw a pick six against the team that you're going to face the next week. This season, Fanduel is making the excitement go beyond what happens on the field with an all-new Fandul Rewards Club featuring exclusive offers, surprises, and more. Every week, check the Fandual app to see what's inside waiting for you in the Fandual Rewards Club. The NFL gives you something new to watch every single wake. It is so exciting week to week with all of the matchups.

Starting point is 00:09:27 And now Fandul is giving fans something new to check on every week too. The rewards club has exclusive offers and surprises. So it's worth opening up the app just to see what's waiting inside. And while you're in that app, you can bet on the 49ers or the Broncos to win their division, to win the Super Bowl. You can bet on season-long prop bets. You can bet on every sport out there, not just the NFL. So make this your most rewarding season ever with Fandul. and visit fanduel.com to get started.

Starting point is 00:09:56 Today's episode is also brought to you by our friends at Indeed and support would not come from Indeed if it wasn't for the workplace chaos that we all see at any job. It happens in sports just like it happens at the place of business where you work. And Indeed, sponsor jobs helps connect employers with candidates who match specific needs like skills, certifications, and location if it was only so easy for NFL teams. So less time gets spent.

Starting point is 00:10:21 searching more time spent finding the right fit for whatever the role. People are finding quality hires all the time on Indeed right now. And in the minute that I've been talking about you, about them to you, companies like yours made 27 hires on Indeed, according to Indeed data worldwide. And we know that one great addition can have a ripple effect on everybody around them. So when you find someone who brings the right skills, attitude, and experience, it makes the entire group better. So spend less time searching more time, cutting through that chaos, with Indeed sponsored jobs. And listeners of this show,

Starting point is 00:10:54 we'll get a $75 sponsor job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at Indeed.com slash podcast. So just go to Indeed.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed here. Indeed.com slash podcast, terms and conditions apply. Need to hire. This is a job for Indeed, sponsored jobs.

Starting point is 00:11:16 All right, Sarah, let's get into some of the key matchups in Week 4 to look out for between the 49ers and the Broncos, kind of going off what we were just talking about with Davis Webb and the Broncos offense. And I put on the tape of the Broncos and watched every snap of just the passing game from Bo Nix in week three against the Rams. And I don't know, I'm watching it and I'm just thinking there's nothing that's really jumping out at me with this Broncos offense for a Sean Payton team with a young quarterback that's super talented. And, you know, and a ton of receivers that you brought in, whether you drafted them, where you have Sutton. who's been there a while or the new guy in Waddle. I just, it wasn't coming together for me when I was watching it.

Starting point is 00:11:56 What's it like for you watching this team? And what do you expect to see out there from this wide receiver group? Yeah, it's a great question. I think that the Broncos, obviously, they're a scheme-driven passing game. I mean, that's how Sean Payton's offenses always have been. He likes to use the term Joker for like a tight end or running back that can be a difference maker in the passing game, specifically in the middle of the field, especially. but I think it's a scheme-driven passing game that's now trying to marry this idea

Starting point is 00:12:25 that we now have a go-to player in Jalen Waddle because the Broncos haven't had that under Sean Payton with all due respects to Cortland Sutton, who has a chance to move into the top five all time this week in Broncos' receptions for a career. With all due respect to him, he hasn't been that type of a weapon that you can truly feature in the offense. I think if you go watch the Jacksonville game, how they got Jalen involved in that game, you'll see a lot more of those longer developing routes. But against the Rams, you're playing against a too high look, pretty much the whole game from Chris Shula, I believe, is the defensive coordinator there.

Starting point is 00:12:59 And he's using too high to get the Broncos to throw short and they can rally and tackle. He's basically saying, hey, we're daring you guys to go run the ball. And anytime the Broncos tried to throw deep, which they did a couple of times, they were ready. So they were ready for the Broncos to try to test deep because that is something they like to do. They want to get Bo Nix out moving to his right, throwing deep down the field, if at all possible, and use those big plays to set up the run. That's what they want. They want to be able to say, hey, we have the threat downfield of whether it's Sutton, whether it's Waddle, whether it's Pat Bryant. We want you to know that those guys are a threat when they're on the field and lighten the box up a little bit.

Starting point is 00:13:39 So it just wasn't clicking in the first half for them. And then the second half, we started to see those explosives. And like I mentioned earlier, you saw that set up play, the flare out to RJ Harvey that you mentioned, they used that play in the second half to actually set up the second and 20 conversion to Pat Bryant, the exact same concept drawn up for the other side of the field. They had RJ Harvey coming in the flat, the linebacker bites up, Pat Bryant all of a sudden has this massive window to work with. And so I think it is a work in progress, and it's also marrying those two things, a scheme-based passing attack with now you have a, hey, Jalen Waddle, he's got to be your number one guy.

Starting point is 00:14:18 Everything revolves around him. Bo Nix did kind of force the throw. I think it was right at the beginning of the third quarter. They tried to hit one deep, and it was just, it was not there. And so what's funny is I think the way that the Rams were trying to force the Broncos into it, I think that same formula is probably going to be the formula against the 49ers, because right now the weakness for the 49ers is their defensive line. And no Bosa, they've been pushed around a little bit.

Starting point is 00:14:50 And I think that's why Kyle Shanahan has been so aggressive early in games. We saw the hook and ladder last week, the Debo Samuel for an 82-yard touchdown. And he wants points on the board early. So teams can't nickel and dime the 49ers. And they've given up, I think, the most 12-play drives in the league this year. So they've given up some 17 play drives, some really long drives. And I think that's where the Broncos are probably going to have to go at first,

Starting point is 00:15:19 at least, against the 49ers, because that's where their weakness is. And so whether it's running the ball, getting the ball out against the odd front and utilizing a speed advantage, getting the ball out to running backs in the short passing game, I envision that that's probably the way it's going to go, especially early for the Denver Broncos, and the best place for them to have success against the 49ers. can the 49ers, is my big question, again, jump out early against the Broncos defense and score early because that had been so helpful the first three weeks for the San Francisco 49ers. By the way, there's actually another receiver that's coming back as well for the Broncos, too. So they have even more weapons this week.

Starting point is 00:15:56 Yeah, with Marvin Mims potentially back in the fold, I know he was testing his foot injury against the L.A. Rams and the pregame. And I don't think there was ever really any intention of him playing in that game. But if he comes back, this will be the first time that he and Jailan Waddle, I know Waddle was also in a walking boot. So we got to, we're kind of crossing our fingers, you know, knock on wood sort of situation. We're hoping that this week could be the first weekend we see Mims and Waddle in the offense together early in training camp.

Starting point is 00:16:24 The plan, I think, was for the Broncos to have Cortland Sutton, Jalen Waddle, and Marvin Mims is their top three guys in the passing game. And then Mims got injured in camp. Pat Bryant had kind of this otherworldly camp and has established himself in the offense and kind of is a non-noburn. negotiable player now. So we'll see how it's changed up. But having those two speed threats at the receiver position is going to be big.

Starting point is 00:16:47 I'm also interested by just this anytime you start a season. It's only three games. I get it. But Brock Purdy has not yet been sacked. And here we are. The Broncos coming to town, the team that has led the NFL in sacks the last two seasons. They haven't necessarily been quite as dominant in the pass rush department this season,

Starting point is 00:17:09 but they were getting after Matt Starr's. Stafford, I mean, you had 15 dropbacks. So 14 QB hits on 55 dropbacks, excuse me, 55, not 15. He had 15 probably on like one drive, but 55 dropbacks. So what's going to break this week, right? I mean, the 49ers past protection has been outstanding. Purdy has been as good as I've ever seen. And I know I've been watching his career from the beginning because Iowa State guy.

Starting point is 00:17:33 I'm a Midwest guy. He's always been really good at escaping pressure. There's not news to any 49ers listeners. I feel like, though, this may be a hot take. What I'm seeing from him this year is the best that I've seen from him in terms of navigating the pocket and making throws not just under pressure, but navigating the pocket and making plays where it helps the offensive line tremendously. It's been phenomenal to watch Brock Purdy in his growth,

Starting point is 00:18:00 and he's undoubtedly playing his best football right now, both getting out of the pocket, being decisive in the pocket, making throws, knowing where they go with the football, knowing where his answers are, reading the football field. It's been pretty amazing to watch him play and watch him grow. And, yeah, he's so good at getting out of the pocket and in creating a play, whether, you know, he just extends it and then still makes a throw, or, you know, he had a really big run that was called back from a,

Starting point is 00:18:28 that would have been a touchdown because of a penalty and then just threw a touchdown. I think it was the two plays later just throws a touchdown to George Kittle instead. And so it's just been a culmination of, a mind meld, I think, between Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy and the preparation and everything that goes into it and how good Brock Purdy is, pre-snap, post-snap, recognizing where to go, being confident with the ball, being confident with his throws, and then taking off when that present itself and when he needs to. And the offensive line has just has done a really good job, too. I mean, the offensive line has probably been as good as anybody could have expected.

Starting point is 00:19:05 Obviously, you have a Hall of Famer in Trent Williams. He had a Stinger last week. he might be on the practice reports this week but he's going to play and so it's a lot of continuity on that 49ers offensive line as well which is which is always huge for any group because a lot of teams can't do that yeah and as you watch this broncos team too i mean really quick thought here the linebackers for denver struggling against tight ends struggling against running backs this is not necessarily the week to try to get right when you're going up against guys like christian mcalfrey george kittle who are both playing well, obviously, but I feel like Kittle, especially coming off injury, has looked, I mean,

Starting point is 00:19:44 like the guy that we've seen for his entire career. Oh, no doubt. Yeah, circle that matchup for sure as a key matchup, trying to cover Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle. I've always called Kyle Shanahan's offense aggressively intermediate. They want to hit that area of the football field anyway. And so if you think you have an advantage there, then look out for it. So I would expect a ton over the middle of the field in this one.

Starting point is 00:20:06 And on top of that, I think that might be a more aggressive, you know, get Debo's same of the ball quick. Christian McCaffrey out of the backfield, George Kittle offense, because Mike Evans' injury day to day with his ribs. Will he play? Will he not play? Even if he does play, I don't expect him to be the focal point. And especially if you're going to be followed around by Patrick Sartan, I think the plan will be to go elsewhere. So it might not be the biggest Mike Evans game plan in this one for the 40. or so yeah look out over the middle of the field for sure this might be the first crossover i've ever done this is really quick i promise okay crossover i've ever done where we do key matchups and there's not a whole discussion about pat ser tan i mean this we're we're making serious progress here pat sir tan this is

Starting point is 00:20:54 one one of those weird games where it's like hey he's not a non factor but he's not the central figure in which the matchup you know revolves around right so very interesting i think that's another, as we approach the game, that's something to see. What are the Broncos going to do to try to make him more of a weapon? Broncos 49ers, who's going to take this one home? Football is back, which means every Sunday is a whole lot more interesting. Every week brings new matchups, breakout players, big performances, and plenty of storylines to follow. Price Pix is bringing out its best offer yet for kickoff.

Starting point is 00:21:29 New users can sign up, get $150 in lineups if they win their first $5 lineup. And Price Pix is now available nationwide. and I'm looking at the newest Bronco, Jalen Waddle, in this one. He was kind of not involved the first couple of weeks, maybe more heavily involved now. That might be the way to go against the San Francisco 49ers for a team that needs to get out there and score earlier with that Denver Broncos offense. Prize picks has your back when other apps don't as well. Prize picks invented the injury reboot. If your player gets hurt in the first half and doesn't return, your lineup can still.

Starting point is 00:22:06 cash. So download the app today. And use code locked on NFL to get $150 instantly in lineups. If you win your first $5 lineup, prize picks run your game. Today's episode also brought to you by Game Day Men's Health, a quiz on your phone, and a box at your door isn't a clinic. When it comes to men's health, things like energy, sleep, drive, how you feel day-to-day deserve a lot more than a questionnaire. Game Day Men's Health is a real in-person. Men's Health, clinic with more than 430 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Men can meet face-to-face with a licensed clinician, get labs drawn in the office, and receive initial results in as little as 15 minutes.

Starting point is 00:22:48 Game day looks at the full picture, your symptoms and lab results before developing a treatment plant. And because they continue testing and evaluating care can be adjusted over time based on your data. It's easy to chalk up changes in energy, sleep, and drive, or even difficulty keeping weight off to getting older and just being busy. But having a place focused specifically on men's health can make it easier to actually get those concerns

Starting point is 00:23:14 evaluated and understood. So book your complimentary test and consult at gameday men'shealth.com. That's game day, men's health.com. All right, finishing up today's crossover episode, Brian Peacock of Locked on 49ers with Sarah Bedinger of Locked on Broncos. Paint me a picture,

Starting point is 00:23:36 of what a Broncos win looks like in week four against the San Francisco 49ers. I know scoring points early is going to be important, but how do you see that happen? That is such a great question, because if I would paint the picture of what I want to, want it to be like, it might look different than, I mean, last week I wouldn't have painted a, hey, let's be down 16 and nothing at halftime and, you know, see what happens in the second half. I think that it's going to involve the Broncos getting after the quarterback, whether or not they're able to be the first team to sack Brock Purdy this year, pressure is essential to their defensive game plan.

Starting point is 00:24:13 They've been able to create more turnovers, more takeaways this year than in years past. So I think that's going to continue to be essential, that symbiotic relationship of the pass rush, you know, helping them force takeaways and the threat of the defensive backfield that they have with all those playmakers back there, allowing that pass rush to get home because they have been, you know, plenty of coverage sacks for this team among their many sacks the last two years. And I think offensively, it does come down to sort of being able to execute early on.

Starting point is 00:24:44 I mean, the Broncos haven't been bad on offense. They've been bad at executing early in games on offense, which I think leads to this sort of misconception. You're always playing from behind. You must be bad on offense. Well, they're just not consistent on offense. We've seen breakout games from them, Buffalo in the playoffs last year, Green Bay late last season, Dallas.

Starting point is 00:25:02 I mean, there's plenty of examples. It's just not like the 49ers, right? Where it's every single week you're expecting like this dominating 30 plus points. And, you know, the Kyle Shanahan or what used to be for me, the Mike Shanahan script where you knew, hey, on that script ain't nobody stopping this team. And if you are, you're going to be running laps at practice. So I think that's kind of where the Broncos need to figure things out is early on when you're on the script, can you play on the script?

Starting point is 00:25:30 And can you find a way to get a lead and keep. keep it. Yeah, I love that. I think you nailed it too. The scripts are going to be huge. The 49ers have been aggressive, you know, hook and ladders. They're trying to score points early and protect their defense a little bit. And it's been a very Brock Purdy offense, a centric football team through three weeks. I think they're continuing to want to try to do that. And so can the Broncos be that team that can bring a little bit more pressure on Brock Purdy, force him into mistakes. Brock Pretty will throw an interception. He's a, you know, he's a confident throw. He's not afraid to let that thing fly.

Starting point is 00:26:05 And occasionally that will be thrown in a place that maybe there's a defender that he didn't see or something that he didn't expect to see. And so can that pressure create problems for the 49ers and just stop the 49ers from running down the field early in games and scoring, you know, in the first two possessions. And all of a sudden it's 14-0, 14-3 or something like that early in a game, which is what the 49ers have been able to do. So I think that's absolutely massive for the 49ers. And then the other part of that I would add to it is just playing keep away. from the 49ers offense. So let's say you get the 49ers off the field early. Can you roll down the field and play keepaway?

Starting point is 00:26:39 Take a big chunk of the first quarter away and go score. And now all of a sudden, you know, you're getting close to halftime and, you know, you have a lead on the 49ers or it's a Thai football game. And you can still stay in a mode where the 49ers didn't force you to be one dimensional, which they've done every single week. And I can't wait to see what the 49ers look like in the second half when they don't have a big lead going into halftime. and I think this is going to be the 49ers biggest test this year

Starting point is 00:27:06 to see if they can keep doing what they've been doing because they've been absolutely phenomenal and it's just not going to be that easy every week. One thing that we've come to expect from the Broncos is especially defensively, like situationally dominant. Last year they were one of the best defenses, third downs, red zones. Red zone defense, it was just nearly impossible

Starting point is 00:27:26 for teams to figure that out against the Broncos. Now you flip the script and you say, hey, the 49ers, by the way, this year, they're number one in third down efficiency offensively. And I think your red zone conversion rate is like 90 plus percent, something like that, number one in both categories. So what you're looking at here is once again, this sort of unstoppable force meets immovable object,

Starting point is 00:27:49 like we talked about with Brock Purdy, not having any sacks going against a pass rush that has set franchise records and back-to-back years in sacks, also situational football. If the 49ers move the ball down the field, field and good offenses. The Broncos expect good offenses to kind of get theirs against them. So if they do get into the red zone, can you come up with a stop? Can you hold them to three instead of letting them score touchdowns? Because that's a lot. A lot of that is how the Broncos have

Starting point is 00:28:16 been able to win these close games is saying, hey, when you get to the red area, we're going to shut you down. You might get three points, but we're going to keep ourselves in the game by only allowing three, right? And so that's another aspect of this game that I would say, if the Broncos win situationally, because the 49ers have been so dominant there, if the Broncos win situationally, I think they can pull it off on the road as tough of an environment as

Starting point is 00:28:41 this is. And you know, the more I think about it, thinking about the Broncos script in early in games, maybe Mims gives them a wrinkle, something that the 49ers haven't seen on tape through three weeks this year from the Denver Broncos and going back to what I was saying earlier,

Starting point is 00:28:59 watching the passing game, I feel like, okay, it's one thing to set up things for the second half. Set something up early. Show me something early that's like, oh, that was a big haymaker that the Broncos offense through. I think that might be something that they need. Yeah, I like that idea a lot. I think that wrinkle that he brings to the table is so important,

Starting point is 00:29:18 even on special teams as well, where he's an all-pro return man. I mean, they got some good contributions last week. in the return game from Colby Katzis, who came up off the practice squad, but Marvin Mims is a true difference maker. He's their most clutch receiver that they have. I mean, you can go back and watch any Broncos game since 2023.

Starting point is 00:29:36 Who's coming up other than Cortland Sutton with a big play late in the game? It's Marvin Mims. And that happened in the playoffs. It happened in other big games late in seasons. He is that guy. He's got the best hands on the team. He's fast. He is explosive and he's clutch.

Starting point is 00:29:51 And so, yes, get him involved early. see if that can be that wrinkle that you need to finally get things going in the first half of a game. So looking at Fandul, Niners favored by three at home, which is essentially, essentially they're throwing up their hands and saying, we don't know, this is a pickum. We're going to give the home team three points. I like that. I like the 49ers by three or four points. That's where I'm at on this one. I don't think they're going to run away from the Broncos like they have the first three weeks of the season. I think it's going to be a really good one. Sarah, how do you see this one going Sunday? Yeah, I was joking with you off the air before we started.

Starting point is 00:30:26 I always have the Broncos winning. I never put a loss out there into the universe at the end of the day, right? So objectively speaking, like we all put, we all put these first six, seven games in pencil, right? So we say, hey, if the Broncos are going to win every game, the first seven, that might be where some things could get shuffled, really. And this is one of those games. You're on the road against a great opponent, 12 wins. I still have the Broncos win in this game. I'll say, you know, one score win.

Starting point is 00:30:53 That's their, that's their MO, right? Get a one score win, go on the road, prove that you are a team that can start fast and finish strong. Sarah Beninger of Locked-on Broncos. I am Brian Peacock of Locked-on 49ers. It's going to be a good one in week four. Make sure you're all tuned in to Locked-on Broncos and Lockdown 49ers. Hit that subscribe button. And back tomorrow right here on the Lockdown Podcast Network.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos' GAUNTLET Continues With Huge Week 4 Test vs. 49ers

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.