Broncos vs. 49ers: The good, bad and ugly from Week 2 of the preseason

The Good

San Francisco actually managed to engineer some promising drives early during the game, which wasn’t the case in Week 1 of the preseason versus Kansas City.

Quarterback Brian Hoyer managed to go 8-of-11 for 89 yards but was victimized by an interception off the hands of wide receiver Marquise Goodwin.

More on that later.

Goodwin ended up leading all Niners receivers with 44 yards on three receptions.

But the biggest play on offense came from tight end George Kittle, who hauled in a 29-yard catch-and-run pass for a touchdown from backup quarterback C.J. Beathard:

Plays like these should help Kittle climb the depth chart before the regular season. And wide receiver Victor Bolden Jr.’s touchdown return on a kickoff should help his chances too.

49ers Offensive Line Effective in Pass Blocking

Pass protection was a bit of a problem last week versus the Chiefs, although that wasn’t much of the case against a stout Broncos pass rush.

Over the course of the game, the Niners suffered just one sack — one taken by quarterback Brian Hoyer — and didn’t allow any quarterback hits.

For the most part, all three of San Francisco’s QBs had adequate time under center with which to work. Even though Denver wasn’t playing all of its starting front-seven players, this is certainly a good sign moving forward.

C.J. Beathard Continues to Impress

Beathard might have cemented his role as the Niners’ No. 2 quarterback, finishing the night going 7-of-12 for 110 yards and a touchdown.

His 116.7 passer rating during the game led all 49ers quarterbacks, and he might have the edge over fellow backup, Matt Barkley.

It didn’t help Barkley fumbled during his first drive.

Still, signs are pointing to Beathard emerging as the immediate backup, putting Barkley’s roster status up in the air.