The San Francisco 49ers are battling the Denver Broncos on Sunday in one of the headline matchups of NFL Week 4, with Brock Purdy and San Francisco looking to protect their perfect start to the season.
The 49ers entered the game at 3 and 0 after beating the Arizona Cardinals 36 to 30 last week. Denver arrived at Levi’s Stadium at 2 and 1 following a victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
But the Broncos have made life difficult for San Francisco.
Denver held a 3 to 0 advantage late in the second quarter, according to The Guardian’s live coverage, after Wil Lutz converted a 52 yard field goal. San Francisco produced promising plays involving Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey but struggled to turn opportunities into points.
Much of the attention entering the game centered on Purdy, who has emerged as one of the NFL’s standout quarterbacks during the opening weeks.
The 49ers quarterback entered Sunday with 789 passing yards, nine touchdown passes and only one interception through three games. He was also named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September.
CBS Sports described Purdy’s battle against Denver’s pass rush as one of the most intriguing matchups of Week 4. San Francisco entered the game averaging 32.7 points per contest, the second highest mark in the NFL.
Denver’s defense, however, presented a very different challenge.
The Broncos entered Sunday with eight sacks and four interceptions through their opening three games. San Francisco was also playing without several defensive players, including Nick Bosa, James Thompson Jr. and Mykel Williams, who were ruled out.
The matchup is also significant for the early NFC picture. San Francisco is attempting to move to 4 and 0 and maintain its unbeaten start, while Denver has the opportunity to claim one of its biggest victories of the young season.
For Purdy and the 49ers, Sunday’s game is quickly becoming much more than another stop on the schedule. It is an early test of whether one of the NFL’s hottest teams can keep winning when its high powered offense is forced into a fight.
