49ers vs. Broncos: San Francisco's Biggest Winners, Losers from Preseason Week 3

Never judge a book by its cover.

Hackneyed adages aside, the start of the San Francisco 49ers game against the Denver Broncos was a showcase of the importance of the quarterback position. Peyton Manning put an NFL’s top-ranked defense on blast in short order.

A stat line of 10-for-12 for 122 yards and two touchdowns is a rather abhorrent site for any defensive coordinator.

But as the veritable Herm Edwards so eloquently said one fine Sunday evening, “You play to win the game.”

And that they did.

Even with the 49ers winning the game 29-24, winners and losers always emerge from an NFL preseason matchup (let alone any game for that matter).

For the purposes of this 49ers’ post-game recap, however, let’s highlight the 10 biggest winners and losers from the 49ers vs. Broncos matchup.

Winner: Alex Smith

The 49ers signal-caller lived up to any lofty expectations his head coach Jim Harbaugh has voiced since his arrival in San Francisco.

Smith’s stat line of 5-for-7 for 69 yards (9.9 average) and a touchdown served his team in good order. He zeroed in on Vernon Davis for a beautiful touchdown pass that got San Francisco on the board. He was poised, sharp, calm and collected.

Better yet, his awareness when the pocket broke down on the 49ers' first drive mitigated the damages that could have been caused by Elvis Dumervil. He evaded a huge loss and limited the consequence to just a zero-yard play.

The former first-round pick was everything the 49ers expect him to be—an expectation that Smith appears ready to shoulder in 2012.

Loser: Joe Staley

This evaluation proved quite difficult considering the track record of one of the leagues best left tackles.

On the first play, though, he did nothing to earn that qualification.

In an apparent attempt to go low and bring Dumervil down, Staley completely missed and looked really bad in the process. The Broncos pass-rusher nearly got to Smith well beyond the line of scrimmage.

He completely took himself out of the play when he dove for the legs of Dumervil. The defensive end easily averted the takedown and was in hot pursuit of the 49ers QB.

Staley looked basically okay otherwise, but miscues like that are not acceptable from one of the best in the business.

Winner: Will Tukuafu

Jim Harbaugh appreciates players who wear multiple hats. Tukuafu certainly did his part in fulfilling that role.

The 49ers defensive tackle suited up on multiple downs on offense. He operated as a leading blocker in the H-back position, and played well while doing so.

He looked smooth and fully functional in a role that’s not necessarily his forte.

And in the role that the 49ers' official roster would indicate otherwise—Tukuafu performed even better. He recorded two tackles and a sack to fully solidify his position on this team.

Defensive tackle, H-back, tight end, whatever—the Oregon product reflects the 49ers identity through and through.

Loser: Tramaine Brock

Brock is a guaranteed member of the active roster. His performance on Sunday, however, subverted his established standing.

Broncos receivers repeatedly beat him, not to mention playmakers in general.

Eric Decker outsmarted Brock on a red-zone corner rout that resulted in a touchdown (safety Dashon Goldson was party responsible). He also missed multiple tackles on plays to the outside.

His five tackles in the box score would point to the contrary, but Brock knows full well that his roster spot is fairly tenuous if Sunday’s performance repeats itself.

Winner: Perrish Cox

Out of all the offseason acquisitions, Perrish Cox has put himself in the conversation as the No. 1 pickup.

As the No. 5 cornerback, Cox has outdone his lowly position. He completely outplayed the man purportedly above him on the depth chart (Brock), recording an interception off Caleb Hanie in the process.

Cox also offers value as a special teams performer on this team. While not necessarily showcasing those skills in this game, his versatility is big-time asset.

On defense, he can play as the nickel corner, No. 2 CB and even safety if the need ever arose.

The former Bronco provided a snippet of what could have been if his old team had retained him. 49ers fans should be thanking secondary coach Ed Donatell for Cox’s development and newfound role in San Francisco.

Loser: Michael Thomas

It’s never fun putting a good man on blast—especially when he’s a member of the head coach’s alma mater.

Truth be told, the Stanford product did not look good on Sunday afternoon.

The backup safety position is a hotly contested battle royal (i.e. “Royal with cheese”) behind Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner. And one of Thomas’ assets is his experience in coverage. Unfortunately, that was not on display earlier today.

Thomas was a bit out of sorts in the secondary, never more apparent than when he came in for a tackle and was completely stiff-armed and taken out of the play. Sixth-round draft pick Trenton Robinson came in and cleaned up the situation.

Even though it was a thoroughly limited appearance, Thomas needs all possible snaps to be his best. He might want a mulligan for his day at the office on Sunday.

Winner: Colin Kaepernick

This is one backup quarterback no teams desire to play against.

Kaepernick’s athletic prowess was on full display against the Broncos. His rollouts outside of the pocket were especially noteworthy.

When moving to his left on the 49ers’ first drive of the second half, Kaep threw an absolute bullet to tight end Konrad Reuland for a 16-yard gain. He utilized every ounce of his physical ability to advance the play.

Moreover, Kaepernick was proficient under center. He facilitated the run game with a prowess that was not indicative of his sophomore status. Option reads, draws and standard handoffs all went smoothly.

A box score of 4-for-4, a 20-yard average and a 118.8 quarterback rating reflects his progression as a passer as well. At the end of the day, that’s really all that matters with this remarkable talent.

Loser: 49ers’ 1st-Team Defense

There’s really no getting around it: Peyton Manning absolutely picked apart the NFL’s No. 4-ranked defense.

The Manning-to-Eric Decker connection appeared as more of the Manning-to-Marvin Harrison variety. The duo connected for two touchdowns along with multiple other receptions.

It’s a plausible reality that Coach Harbaugh and coordinator Vic Fangio were none too pleased at the performance of their formidable brainchild.

A 30-year-old Willis McGahee made the usually young and dominant 49ers defense look, well, more like a bunch of 30-something battered running backs. It wasn’t a consistent phenomenon, yet any 12-yard gain is grounds for expulsion in this group.

And Peyton Manning or not, 148.6 quarterback ratings are never acceptable.

Loser: A.J. Jenkins

Let this be known: I am in the A.J. Jenkins fan club. Incredulous at the draft pick, yes, but at the rookie’s talent—not a chance in hell.

That being said, any analyst observing the former Illini at Mile High Stadium was not sufficiently impressed.

Jenkins did haul in one pass for 11 yards and was particularly striking in the run game. However, he failed to haul in an absolutely perfect 32-yard throw that landed right in his hands.

This is the type of inconsistency that can be expected from a rookie. Even so, Jenkins’ talent far supersedes these types of miscues. He’s simply better than this.

Winner: 49ers 29, Broncos, 24

Well, shall we state the obvious?

Indeed, the 49ers emerged victorious over a Peyton Manning-led squad that was firing on all cylinders for the better part of the game. A 17-0 Niner deficit indicated as much.

Yet, Jim Harbaugh’s club rallied and shut out the Broncos in the second half.

David Akers—the man of the hour in 2011—fulfilled his game-changing duties (however much held in contempt by touchdown enthusiasts) with four field goals in the final two quarters.

Anthony Dixon—the fan favorite but odd man out—played in a way that would have ensured his longevity with the 49ers. His 26-yard touchdown run was exactly what all those in San Francisco had in mind for the Mohawk-wearing bruiser.

Unfortunately, Dixon will fall well short of the active roster, as Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, Brandon Jacobs and LaMichael James are fully entrenched at the running back position.

The San Francisco 49ers did win, though, and that is certainly something the fans can appreciate.

They should just be happy that the coaches’ meetings are closed to the public.

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