49ers vs. Broncos: Why Preseason Week 2 Is Important for San Francisco

The San Francisco 49ers take on the Broncos in Denver for each team’s second game of the 2016 NFL preseason. Coming off a 24-13 loss to the Houston Texans, why is this particular contest important for the Niners?

The San Francisco 49ers did some good things in their 24-13 exhibition opening loss to the Houston Texans last weekend, but the Niners also did a few things very poorly.

Fortunately, the 49ers will have a chance to make some improvements this preseason as they take on the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field on Saturday, August 20 at 9 p.m. ET.

Week 2 of the NFL preseason generally is the closest resemblance of an actual regular-season game. Starters typically get an entire quarter, if not more, of playing time instead of the standard couple of series.

And Weeks 3 and 4 of this exhibition phase are usually reserved for backup players vying for roster spots.

So the Niners, coming off a 5-11 effort a year ago, face off against the defending Super Bowl champions — a team that, despite some notable offseason departures, still boasts one of the more formidable defenses and receiving corps in the league entering 2016.

No team in the NFL allowed fewer passing or all-purpose yards last year than the Broncos.

The Niners, who struggled offensively in both categories a season ago, will have the opportunity to test their mettle against one of the premier defenses, at altitude and in a hostile environment.

At least it’s just the preseason.

Even if the game “doesn’t count,” let’s get into detail behind why this contest is particularly important for San Francisco.

Forward Strides in the Passing Game

Against the Texans, 49ers quarterbacks amassed a lowly 20-of-43 stat line for just one touchdown and a net 66.0 passer rating.

Aside from quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s 43-yard touchdown pass to tight end Vance McDonald, the Niners’ aerial attack was anything but effective. And it was frequently plagued by poorly thrown and inaccurate passes.

Just take a look at Gabbert’s first series:

On a good note, Gabbert — and other San Francisco QBs — didn’t have to regularly face the pressure seen all too often by the 49ers offense last year. The Niners offensive line, which allowed just one sack last week, held up fairly well.

But still, poorly thrown passes were a problem.

And they continued to be for Gabbert and newly acquired quarterback Christian Ponder during the team’s first practice session against Denver, according to Eric Branch of SFGate.com:

Yet, as 49ers color commentator Tim Ryan noted on KNBR 680’s Murph & Mac Show Friday morning, San Francisco appeared a little sluggish after their travel day to Denver. Ryan also noted the Niners’ efforts on day two of practices were significantly better.

That’s a good thing, but Gabbert and the remaining host of 49ers QBs will have to demonstrate any such improvement against a Denver defense that gave up a mere 3,193 passing yards a season ago.

Not easy.

Fine Tuning Chip Kelly’s Offense

An elite-level defense versus an offensive-minded head coach’s scheme — that’s what’s on the table for the 49ers this game.

Despite the woes San Francisco experienced through the air against Houston, the Niners are still going to be a run-first offense. And that running game was on full display versus the Texans.

It worked well too.

The 49ers gained a total of 236 rushing yards on 34 carries last week. Eighty-nine of those yards came from Niners quarterbacks.

Carlos Hyde, the guaranteed No. 1 running back, averaged 5.4 yards per carry and should see a good deal of action over the first quarter in Denver. This will be an excellent test for a number of key reasons.

Hyde needs to be the bell cow of the offense, especially with all those question marks under center. How effective will he be against a defense like Denver’s? And can the Niners O-line, which Pro Football Focus ranked 30th in run-blocking support last year, continue to progress in what head coach Chip Kelly wants to do here?

Possibly. It’s a major focal point.

Here’s the thing — Kelly’s offense may take a bit to get into rhythm. But when it’s clicking, an opposing defense can be put on its heels.

Exactly how well the 49ers can do this will be a good indication what to expect during the regular season.

49ers Defense Trending Upward?

No Kelly-led team can have an elite-level defense, right?

That’s the common narrative. At least it has been in recent years.

It’s far to early to determine whether or not San Francisco’s defense will suffer from its own uptempo offensive unit. The rosters are larger, and few starters and reserves have realistically been determined.

Still, the 49ers defense gave up zero offensive points to the Texans during the first half of last Sunday’s game. And Houston has some pretty solid receivers on its roster.

Denver has some too. Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas are just a couple of names to watch. Sanders was particularly effective against the 49ers defense during the first day of joint practices, but maybe the momentum can shift back in San Francisco’s favor.

Like the 49ers, the Broncos are also facing a bit of a quarterback dilemma. So it’s entirely feasible to assume San Francisco’s pass rush and passing defense can gain some momentum this weekend.

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Speaking of the pass rush, the 49ers defense managed three sacks against Houston.

For a unit that will be without linebacker Aaron Lynch for the first four weeks of the regular season, maintaining this prowess is crucial.

But the biggest aspect of all will be how the Niners measure up against a reigning champion. It’s the age-old storyline of a team trying to stack up against an opponent, regardless of the preseason context, to see how good it truly is.

San Francisco will try to get its answer Saturday.

Next: 5 Things to Look for from the 49ers versus the Broncos

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of ESPN.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.