San Francisco vs. Denver: Complete Week 7 Preview for Denver
The last time the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers met, the Broncos put a 34-0 beating on them in the first game ever played at Levi's Stadium.
But that was the preseason. When the two teams meet on Sunday Night Football, things will be a little different.
The Broncos (4-1) and 49ers (4-2) are two of the best teams in the NFL. They both have their sights set on the Super Bowl. That means fans will be treated to one of the better NFL games this season.
The hype will center around Peyton Manning chasing the career passing touchdown record, but there are several underlying storylines.
Will Denver be able to rush for over 100 yards again? Will Colin Kaepernick be kept in check after throwing for 343 yards in Week 6 against St. Louis?
The game will feature two solid, playmaking defenses as well.
The all-time regular-season series between these two teams is tied 6-6, though San Francisco does own a Super Bowl victory over the Broncos back in 1990.
For more on the game, including an injury report for Denver and key matchups to watch, read on.
Week 6 Recap
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The Broncos are coming off of what many would consider a lackluster performance against the New York Jets. Still, they were able to go on the road and pick up a victory, something that should never be overlooked in the NFL.
The Broncos played good defense against the Jets, limiting them to just 204 yards of total offense, including only 31 yards rushing.
With the Broncos up by only one score late in the fourth quarter, Aqib Talib returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown to seal the win.
Offensively, the Broncos didn't put forth their best effort, but they weren't exactly stagnant either. In fact, they got the running game going for the first time all year as Ronnie Hillman ran for 100 yards.
Through the air, Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes, and the Broncos were never realistically in danger of losing the game.
However, it wasn't all good news for the Broncos. Starting linebacker Danny Trevathan, who recently returned from an injury suffered in training camp, will miss the next 6-8 weeks with another leg injury.
News and Notes
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Shaquil Barrett Joins Active Roster
As Ian Rapoport tweeted out, the Broncos have decided to promote undrafted rookie linebacker Shaquil Barrett from the practice squad in order to help replace the injured Danny Trevathan:
"To replace LB Danny Trevathan for now, the #Broncos will promote Shaq Barrett from their practice squad
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 14, 2014"
Barrett had 246 tackles and 18 sacks in three seasons at Colorado State. He should be a tremendous addition to the linebacker group, which will be asking a lot of Brandon Marshall during Trevathan's absence.
Broncos Will Wear All Blue on Sunday Night
Per The Denver Post's Nicki Jhabvala, the Denver Broncos have decided to wear their all-blue uniforms for their Sunday night game against San Francisco.
This is something fans have only seen the Broncos do 12 other times in their history. They hold an 8-4 record while wearing the unique uniforms.
Colin Kaepernick a Tougher Matchup Than Peyton Manning?
Andy Benoit of the Monday Morning Quarterback posted an interesting article detailing the differences between Colin Kaepernick and Peyton Manning.
Benoit reports that he interviewed several coaches at the NFL Scouting Combine, asking them which quarterback they'd rather face. A "solid majority" said they'd rather face Manning.
It is an interesting debate.
With Kaepernick, you certainly have to account for his athletic ability and the fact that he can beat you with his legs just as easily as he can with his arm.
However, you don't have to worry about him breaking down a defense with the surgical precision exhibited by Manning.
Kaepernick has a very bright future, but you'd have to think that if those same coaches had to pick a quarterback to go out and win them one game, they'd all have Manning at or very near the top of their list.
Injury Report
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| Montee Ball | RB | Groin | Questionable |
| Omar Bolden | CB | Groin | Probable |
| David Bruton | S | Ankle | Probable |
| Chris Harris | CB | Knee | Probable |
| Brandon McManus | K | Groin | Probable |
| Corey Nelson | LB | Hamstring | Probable |
| Juwan Thompson | RB | Knee | Questionable |
Injury statuses courtesy of CBS Sports.
Aside from Danny Trevathan, the Broncos will come into the game Sunday night very healthy.
Placekicker Brandon McManus has been dealing with a groin injury for a couple weeks now, but he has still been able to handle his kicking duties. One thing to keep an eye on will be his distance on kickoffs. The Jets were able to return several of his kickoffs in Week 6.
The biggest name to keep an eye on from this list is Juwan Thompson. The rookie running back spelled Ronnie Hillman quite well against the Jets, gaining 38 yards on eight carries. If he is unable to play against San Francisco, the Broncos will have to turn to C.J. Anderson to help Hillman in the running game.
Without Trevathan, Brandon Marshall and Corey Nelson will need to make plays at the linebacker position. Marshall is the team's leading tackler this season, and he'll have to become an even bigger part of the defense going forward.
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X-Factor Players and Matchups to Watch
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Denver Receivers vs. Chris Borland
Linebacker Patrick Willis has missed practice all week for San Francisco, and if he is unable to play on Sunday, rookie Chris Borland will likely get the start.
Though Borland is very good in the running game, Denver can exploit him by creating mismatches in the passing game.
"One more note on 49ers LB Patrick Willis: It's currently unlikely he plays this week vs. Broncos, per league source.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 14, 2014"
If Borland is tasked with having to cover the much bigger Julius Thomas or the much quicker Wes Welker coming across the middle of the field, then we could see the Broncos pick up some big chunks of yardage.
Against Thomas, San Francisco will certainly have to lean on a safety like Eric Reid to help out in those situations. If Peyton Manning can keep forcing Reid to come up and make plays, it could leave the San Francisco secondary susceptible to the deep ball.
Aqib Talib vs. Anquan Boldin
San Francisco loves to move the ball through the air by taking advantage of the physicality possessed by wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Because of this, Denver would be wise to counter with Aqib Talib.
Talib is as physical as any cornerback in the NFL. But he's also deceptively quick. Boldin is not great at getting separation, so if Talib can push him off his route consistently, he could hold Boldin to a very quiet night.
Chris Harris and Bradley Roby both match up well with wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson as well.
DeMarcus Ware vs. Joe Staley
Last season, St. Louis defensive end Robert Quinn was second in the NFL with 19 sacks. On Monday night, he didn't even come close to one as he was completely shut down by San Francisco left tackle Joe Staley.
Staley will be the man DeMarcus Ware has to face on Sunday.
Kaepernick and San Francisco can be incredibly effective on offense without any pressure if their face, just as St. Louis found out Monday night. However, Kaepernick can be very dangerous when chased out of the pocket as well.
Denver needs to find a way to get pressure on Sunday night, but they must pick and choose their spots carefully.
The Broncos should plan to tie Staley up with Ware, allowing a linebacker like Brandon Marshall to shoot through the gap and make a play.
Broncos' X-Factor: T.J. Ward
Denver safety T.J. Ward has had a relatively quiet season. His 22 tackles are far off the pace of the 112 that he had last year in Cleveland.
But against a physical team, a physical player will have an impact.
Ward will be all over the field on Sunday and he'll be asked to do several things. But the biggest area he can contribute in is helping shut down the San Francisco rushing attack.
Unless San Francisco is able to establish a deep threat such as Brandon Lloyd, the Broncos will be able to rely on man-to-man coverage on the outside. This will allow Ward to sneak up like an extra linebacker and make plays at the line of scrimmage.
Look for Ward to have his best game of the season on Sunday night.
Prediction
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This will be another tough test for the Broncos against a physical, talented team from the NFC West. San Francisco has appeared in each of the last three NFC Championship Games.
They come into the game riding a three-game winning streak and seem to be hitting their stride. However, they will face the Broncos in a tough environment on a short week.
The Broncos know a game like this is a great litmus test for the 2014 season and will come out firing on all cylinders.
Needing just three touchdown passes to surpass Brett Favre for the most in NFL history, Peyton Manning will see that happen. But it won't come easily.
The 49ers are a very talented team that will give the Broncos their best shot. Denver gets the nod due to an extra day of rest and home-field advantage.
Prediction: Broncos 27, 49ers 17
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