SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) Once the San Francisco 49ers went on offense, Brock Purdy and his team were once again unstoppable.
Brock Purdy threw two touchdown passes and Christian McCaffrey ran for a score as the 49ers scored touchdowns on three straight second-half possessions to beat the Denver Broncos 24-14 on Sunday to remain undefeated.
Both offenses struggled to generate offense on a hot day in the Bay Area, but the 49ers (4-0) took advantage of a Marvin Mims Jr. fumbled punt return to set up a short third-quarter touchdown run that gave them the lead for good.
San Francisco had been held to three points on seven possessions before the game that set the stage for three straight touchdowns as the Niners took advantage of injuries that knocked out Denver’s two starting cornerbacks, including two-time All Pro Patrick Surtain II.
“We wanted to break away from what it was and just be ourselves,” Purdy said. “I’m glad we were able to get some momentum in the second half. That’s why it’s a four-quarter game.”
Purdy capped the 28-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel that made it 10-3 late in the third quarter. He then engineered a 74-yard drive that McCaffrey finished with a 1-yard run to extend the lead to 17-6 midway through the fourth after the Broncos (2-2) settled for a field goal on fourth-and-2.
Bo Nix, who thrived in comeback situations late in the game, tried to create another one for Denver with his 13-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle, cutting the Niners’ lead to 17-14 with a 2-point conversion with 4:05 left.
But the 49ers sealed the victory when Kittle took a screen pass behind the line of scrimmage and outplayed former teammate Talanoa Hufanga for a 56-yard touchdown with 2:15 remaining.
“Every time you see green grass, I think I ran the whole time with a smile on my face,” said Kittle, who turns 33 on Friday. “Always passing your younger and older teammates is always a good time, especially when they’re (27).”
Purdy finished 19 of 30 for 218 yards and avoided taking a sack for a fourth straight game and had no turnovers.
Nix struggled to push the ball downfield for most of the game, with Denver’s running game unable to let up on the defense. He finished 25 of 42 for 214 yards and a touchdown.
“We just didn’t have enough offense to get ahead and go beyond that,” coach Sean Payton said. “We just didn’t have enough answers to get past this problem and get a lead.”
The 49ers scored touchdowns on nearly half of their possessions, but struggled to move the ball against Denver’s stout defense. They punted on two of their first three possessions, with Purdy being stopped on fourth down on the other.
San Francisco got on the board with a 24-yard field goal to tie the game late in the first half, but had a chance to take the lead thwarted when a field goal was blocked on the final play of the first half to keep the game tied at 3.
“I think we had some plays to make,” Nix said. “I think as a team there were some plays for us to make.”
Broncos: Surtain (ankle), CB Riley Moss (ribs) and WR Pat Bryant (ankle) all left injured and did not return. Payton had no immediate word on the extent of the injuries.
49ers: FB Kyle Juszczyk left with a sprained knee after being hit by Jahdae Barron and did not return. … S Marques Sigle (ankle) and CB Upton Stout (shoulder) are also gone. Shanahan had no immediate word on the extent of the injuries.
Broncos: Visit the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday.
49ers: Visit Seattle next Sunday.
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