Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey scored 1-yard touchdowns, George Kittle took a screen pass 56 yards for a clinching score and the San Francisco 49ers remained unbeaten with a 24-14 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif.
Eddy Pineiro contributed a 24-yard field goal and linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who played last season for the Broncos, led a strong San Francisco defensive effort with 12 tackles, helping the 49ers (4-0) open the season with four straight wins for the second time in the last four years.
Brock Purdy finished 19-for-30 for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Mike Evans was his top target with five catches for 76 yards, while McCaffrey was the game’s leading rusher with 52 yards on 15 attempts.
Bo Nix went 25-for-42 for 214 yards, connecting 10 times with RJ Harvey for 68 yards for the Broncos (2-2). J.K. Dobbins had 40 of Denver’s 82 rushing yards.
After the teams combined for just 15 first downs and 315 total yards in a 3-3 first half, the 49ers took advantage of a fumbled punt return by Denver’s Marvin Mims Jr. to take the lead for good on a flip from Purdy to Samuel with 4:15 left in the third period. Siran Neal’s fumble recovery set up the nine-play, 28-yard drive.
Attempting to drive for a tying touchdown, the Broncos reached the San Francisco 22 on their next possession, but had to settle for a 40-yard field goal from Wil Lutz, trimming their deficit to 10-6.
Purdy then threw 16 yards to Kyle Juszczyk, who suffered an injury on the play, and nine and 17 yards to Mike Evans, setting up McCaffrey’s plunge for a two-score lead with 8:52 to go.
Denver got within 17-14 on a 13-yard TD pass from Nix to Jaylen Waddle and a two-point conversion run by Tyler Badie with still 4:05 to play. But San Francisco, attempting to run out the clock, locked up its win when Kittle took a short Purdy pass in the middle of the field and outraced the Broncos’ defense for more than half the length of the field to make it 24-14.
Neither quarterback threw an interception.
