Unlike last season, European football fans making the trip to Wembley Stadium were treated to an actual competitive NFL game, although the excitement mostly was kept in check until the fourth quarter.
Thirty points were scored in the final period as the 49ers capitalized on two key Broncos mistakes to seal their victory. Besides taking advantage of a Kyle Orton fumble and a block-in-the-back on a potentially game-tying kickoff return TD, San Francisco benefited from a 38-yard floater from Troy Smith to Delanie Walker that inexplicably dropped directly between the Hall of Fame sandwich of Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins.
Broncos: Three performances of note
The Broncos struggled to sustain drives consistently — they did not manage a single first down on four of 12 possessions — despite outgaining the 49ers because Orton could not get the offense in rhythm. Orton was hindered by six offensive penalties and horrible pass blocking. While every starting offensive lineman was in the red on passing downs, LG Russ Hochstein (-6.4) was the worst offender. Hochstein, who was penalized twice, allowed two sacks and two additional pressures. After a solid performance in his first start replacing Stanley Daniels, Hochstein has done nothing to solidify his spot in the lineup and may be forced to relinquish the job if his play doesn't improve.
On the topic of players who may lose their jobs, CB Andre Goodman (-3.8) failed to finish the game for the third time in four chances this season. Unlike the other two times, though, this one appeared to be a performance-related benching. Goodman was thrown at nine times and yielded six catches, but the straw that broke the camel's back was probably Michael Crabtree‘s tie-breaking TD in the fourth quarter. Goodman was beat off the snap by a double move and then tried to strip the ball instead of wrapping Crabtree up before he crossed the goal line. It is hard to envision a scenario in which rookie Perrish Cox does not take over the RCB spot full-time at some point this season.
One Denver player who enjoyed a good game was RLB Jason Hunter (+3.8). The Broncos' primary pass-rushing linebacker managed to apply pressure on four of eleven attempts, but his run defense was particularly noteworthy against the 49ers. Four of Hunter's five tackles came on running plays and were no more than 2 yards from the line of scrimmage, including one for a 1-yard loss.
49ers: Three performances of note
Only time will tell if Mike Singletary has finally found a QB he is content with, but Smith (+1.6) didn't hurt his case by getting a win in his first attempt as a 49er. While he didn't throw the football like Peyton Manning, Smith did show that he can lead a football team down the field and score in the fourth quarter, which may impress Singletary more than any tangible skill. Smith also displayed a knack for getting out of trouble in the pocket that belied his inexperience. Six dropbacks while being blitzed accounted for four completions, 74 yards, and a touchdown — adding up to a QB rating of 148.6 for those six attempts.
Making Frank Gore‘s 118-yard day more impressive was the inadequate lead blocking of FB Moran Norris (-4.4). On one play, D.J. Williams blew by Mike Iupati and met Norris head-on in the backfield, shoved him to the side, and tackled Gore for a 2-yard loss before the RB could take a second step. Norris was also stopped for a 1-yard loss on his only carry, near the goal line, and allowed pressure on his only pass-block attempt.
Despite playing less than half the defensive snaps, LOLB Manny Lawson (+4.0) had perhaps the biggest impact on the game. Orton may be having nightmares about Lawson for some time, as the the aggressive LB was whistled for roughing the passer after dragging Orton to the ground by his helmet on one occasion. Lawson nearly knocked the QB out of the game after a hard hit on an unchecked blitz on another. More importantly, it was Lawson who pursued Orton from behind and stripped him of the ball halfway through the fourth quarter, allowing the 49ers to regain possession and establish a two-score lead.
Rookie report
Center J.D. Walton (-0.8) gave up three pressures, bringing his league-leading total (among centers) to 19, including sacks. Right tackle Zane Beadles allowed another five, giving him 26 pressures against on the year. … Receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker saw few snaps again and didn't do much outside of a 31-yard catch-and-run by Thomas. … Syd‘quan Thompson played 11 snaps at CB and wasn't targeted while Tim Tebow wasn't asked to throw the ball (still) on his two Wildcat snaps.
For the Niners, Iupati (+1.3) continued to play well at LG, not allowing a single pressure while pass blocking. Anthony Davis wasn't horrible at right tackle, but is still the less-accomplished of the two rookie first-round linemen so far. … Safety Taylor Mays (-2.7) was beaten a few times and seemed to especially struggle against play-action. Brandon Lloyd‘s long TD could have been prevented, but Mays' first step forward towards the play-fake didn't allow him to catch up in time. Third-round pick Navarro Bowman got pressure on four of five pass rushes. … At tight end, Nate Byham (-1.8) had trouble with increased playing time after Vernon Davis‘ injury, blocking poorly and failing to catch any of his five targets.
Random Note
As a general rule, Williams moved outside and Mario Haggan took over the MLB spot on clear running plays for Denver. On obvious passing downs, Williams took over the middle.
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