Broncos vs. 49ers: 5 top takeaways from San Francisco’s Week 14 win

No. 2: The defensive line and linebackers showed up

With the 49ers lacking a pass rush and the ability to get off the edge, they have struggled to place opposing quarterbacks under pressure. Although the Niners only recorded two sacks, one by the previously mentioned Reed and the other by defensive end Ronald Blair III, they had a total of nine quarterback hits.

They kept Keenum under pressure for much of the game, with linebacker Cassius Marsh coming away with two quarterback hits, unlucky not to have recorded any sacks.

The 49ers defense restricted Keenum to 24 passes from 42 attempts for 186 yards. Many of those yards were gained in the Broncos’ second-half stampede to close out the game. Keenum had a completion rate of 57.1 percent and a passer rating of 76.1.

The Broncos came into the game averaging 5.4 rushing yards per attempt. However, they were restricted to 3.8 yards per carry thanks to the 49ers’ defense shutting the run game down. Running back Royce Freeman led their offense with 36 yards from six carries.

Defensive end Arik Armstead continued his improvement this season, registering four tackles with one quarterback hit. And while defensive end Solomon Thomas recorded zero tackles, he did have two quarterback hits and looked more comfortable playing in his natural inside position.

Whether he improves from here, only time will tell.