Make California Post a Preferred Source SANTA CLARA — The 49ers felt the heat Sunday.
From the temperatures on the field that flirted with 90 degrees, one of the hottest games on record in the decade they’ve called Levi’s Stadium home.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass against the Denver Broncos during the second half of a game, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect And from the Denver Broncos, who entered Levi’s Stadium representing the biggest challenge Kyle Shanahan’s team has faced to date and lived up to the billing.
Brock Purdy overcame a slow start, the 49ers defense withstood a slew of injuries and San Francisco held on to remain unbeaten through four games. Final score: 24-14.
Here are the takeaways from the 49ers’ fourth consecutive win:
Coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t typically call for a quarterback sneak unless the yardage is all but guaranteed, so the playcall on a long fourth-and-1 was already out of character.
It didn’t work out, resulting in a turnover on downs, and it was fair to wonder if that’s all that went wrong. Purdy came away from the pile with both shoulder pads exposed and acting as if he was shook up on the sneak, shaking his throwing arm as he moseyed back to the sideline.
Purdy didn’t miss a snap, but he wasn’t the same pinpoint quarterback that put himself in the MVP conversation through the first three weeks. He was off-target on a handful of throws that resulted in incompletions, including one to Mike Evans on third-and-goal, settling for a field goal.
Whether Purdy received treatment at halftime, or benefited from the Broncos’ top cornerback, Patrick Surtain II, leaving with an ankle injury, Purdy was more of himself in the second half.
Purdy had completed only half of his first 20 attempts but connected on nine of his final 10 passes, including all four on a nine-play, 74-yard touchdown drive that put them up 17-6 with 8:52 to play and a 56-yard strike to George Kittle that sealed the win on their next drive.
Perhaps most importantly, even when Purdy wasn’t on target, he took care of the football and the 49ers took care of him. For the first time this season, the Broncos defense failed to record a sack or force a turnover.
It’s hardly been out of the ordinary for even elite quarterbacks to have a hard time against this Denver defense. The Broncos had faced Patrick Mahomes, Trevor Lawrence and Jared Goff and limited them to a 74.3 combined passer rating, third best in the NFL.
Purdy still managed to put up the best performance of them all, notching his fourth consecutive game with a passer rating of 100 or better (107.1).
Purdy managed to maintain his connection with Mike Evans, despite the veteran receiver being a game-time decision and forced to wear a flak jacket after injuring his ribs last week.
While he missed Evans on three of his eight targets, including the crucial third down at the Broncos’ 4-yard line, Evans gutted through pain to haul in a team-high 76 yards on five catches.
The most significant loss to come out of the win was fullback Kyle Jusczyzk, who took a hard hit after hauling in a late first-down catch and was ruled out with an unspecified knee injury.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect WHERE’D THE ‘O’ GO? With Purdy out of whack in the first half, the 49ers followed in the footsteps of the Broncos’ previous foes and turned their focus to the ground game, with Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel both carrying the ball for big gains.
But the 49ers were kept out of the end zone before halftime for the first time in three games and what has been far and away the most efficient offense in the NFL largely grinded to a halt.
San Francisco was stuffed on third- or fourth-and-short on multiple occasions, converting only seven of its 15 third- or fourth down attempts. McCaffrey was stopped short on third-and-4, setting up Purdy’s unsuccessful sneak attempt, and again on third-and-1, forcing a three-and-out.
But when the defense finally faltered, allowing the Broncos to reach the end zone for the first time with 4:04 to play and cut the lead to 17-14, the offense picked up the slack.
Purdy found Kittle, who outran former teammate Talanoa Hufanga 56 yards across the goal line for the game-sealing score and the 49ers’ longest play of the afternoon.
It was a poor time for the 49ers’ worst offensive showing of the season.
Major credit goes to their significantly undermanned defense, which was already missing Nick Bosa and a handful of starters and withstood Fred Warner’s multiple trips into the injury tent.
At one point, it appeared that the unit was in for more of the same, allowing Denver to convert five of its first eight third-down attempts. The Broncos mounted a 13-play, nearly eight-minute drive that ended in the first points the 49ers have allowed in the first quarter all season.
Malik Mustapha made an impressive diving pass breakup on the Broncos’ next third-down attempt, and Denver went on to move the chains on only three of its final nine attempts.
A unit that wore down in the second half last week seemed to only get stronger as this game went on, doubly impressive given the numbers on their depth chart and the thermometer.
It wasn’t the prettiest or most convincing, but a win is a win.
At 4-0, the 49ers would surely like to win next week in Seattle, but it’s hardly a necessity.
Moreover, Shanahan has to be happy with the performance from his defense, and there were even encouraging signs hidden within the slog of a day on the other side of the ball. The running game was as efficient as it has been this season and the offensive line kept Purdy upright for the fourth straight game, even against a defense that led the NFL with 68 sacks last season.
Just about everything besides health had worked in the 49ers’ favor through the first three weeks. Against the Broncos, they proved they don’t have to play their “A” game to be formidable.
