49ers vs. Broncos: 5 top performances from preseason Week 2

The San Francisco 49ers closed out Week 2 of the NFL preseason with another victory, this time 24-15 over the Denver Broncos. Since it’s the preseason and player evaluation is key, Niner Noise takes a look at the top performances from the victory.

After a weekend of joint practices, the San Francisco 49ers faced off against the Denver Broncos on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. The game was notable for a variety of reasons, but the one that stood out the most was the return of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to football action after tearing his ACL in Week 3 last season.

Unfortunately, Garoppolo’s preseason debut didn’t go so well, as the 49ers starter finished the game with one of the most bizarre lines I’ve ever seen: 1-of-6 for zero yards, with one interception and a  0.0 passer rating.

While Garoppolo struggled to get going, the 49ers reserves did eventually turn a 9-3 halftime deficit into a 24-15 victory, courtesy of touchdowns from running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, as well as an impressive throw and catch from quarterback Nick Mullens to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.

As noted last week after the 49ers preseason opening win against the Cowboys, the evaluation of players matters more than the victory (although winning is nice). So once again, we’ll take a look at five performances which stood out from the rest of pack in Denver.

Just like before, this list isn’t exhaustive, and honorable mention should be given to Deebo Samuel for his blazing 45-yard run to set up Wilson’s touchdown run, wide receiver Richie James for posting an exceptional 40 yards per kickoff return, and punter Mitch Wishnowsky for this:

And now, without further delay, the 49ers top performers from Week 2 of the preseason against the Broncos.