Niner Noise
FanSided

NFL power rankings: 49ers surge in Week 3, while Saints fall

By Peter Panacy

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 15: Richie James #13 and Marquise Goodwin #11 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after Goodwin made a catch for a first down in the third quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 15: Richie James #13 and Marquise Goodwin #11 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after Goodwin made a catch for a first down in the third quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 15: Connor McGovern #60 of the Denver Broncos hangs his head as he walks off the field after failing to convert a first down against the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter of a game at Empower Field at Mile High on September 15, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 15: Connor McGovern #60 of the Denver Broncos hangs his head as he walks off the field after failing to convert a first down against the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter of a game at Empower Field at Mile High on September 15, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

. 0-2. Previous: . Denver Broncos. 25. team. 45

L, 16-14 vs. Bears

Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio’s reunion against his former employer, the Chicago Bears, didn’t exactly go according to plan.

At least not with the Bears quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky, engineering enough of a two-minute drive to lead to a game-winning Chicago field goal.

That might have been the only exciting thing about this game, which saw both underdeliver. At least Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco seemed to have more success than he did against the Oakland Raiders in Week 1, although not by much.

And where were Broncos pass-rushers Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, outside of that one roughing-the-passer call? The officials certainly didn’t earn fans in Denver, by the way.

Chubb managed two hits on Trubisky, but that wasn’t enough to thwart what little Chicago had to do, offensively.

0-2 isn’t the kind of start Fangio envisioned when he took over coaching duties, and the Broncos will look to regroup on the road in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers. Denver’s defense will likely have to shoulder the load early this season, but at least it has the tools to do so.