Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers

DEN 14 · SF 24 · 2026 Week 4

Broncos pull within three; Kittle answers with a 56-yard dagger

For about four minutes, the upset was alive. Denver had clawed back to 17-14, the Broncos' sideline was celebrating, and somewhere a parlay was breathing again.

Then Brock Purdy hit George Kittle for 56 yards, the lead was 10 before the celebration ended, and that was that. Two minutes — that's how long Denver's miracle lasted. The Broncos spent three quarters climbing the mountain and about 120 seconds enjoying the view.

San Francisco didn't dominate this game; it just answered every question on the test. The 49ers never trailed in the second half and treated Denver's best punch like a mosquito — annoying for a moment, irrelevant by the next drive. The Broncos get the moral victory of making it interesting. The 49ers get the actual victory, which counts for more in the standings and, one suspects, in the locker room.