49ers Hand Broncos Second Loss of Season, 24-14

By Tiffany Williams –

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Denver Broncos dropped to 2-2 on the season Sunday after falling to the undefeated San Francisco 49ers, 24-14, at Levi’s Stadium.

San Francisco improved to 4-0 with the victory in front of 70,776 fans, while Denver fell back to .500 through its first four games.

While the Broncos left California with a loss, several Denver players reached significant individual milestones during the game.

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton moved into a tie for fifth place on the Broncos’ all-time receptions list. Sutton caught one pass for four yards, giving him 462 career receptions and tying former Denver receiver Ed McCaffrey.

Only Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe, Demaryius Thomas and Lionel Taylor have caught more passes in a Broncos uniform.

Sutton also ranks fifth in franchise history with 6,439 receiving yards and eighth with 39 receiving touchdowns. He also tied Rick Upchurch for seventh among Broncos receivers with 119 games played.

Denver kicker Wil Lutz provided an early highlight by connecting on a 52-yard field goal in the first quarter.

The attempt pushed Lutz beyond 300 career field-goal attempts. He finished the afternoon 2-for-3 on field goals.

Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle delivered Denver’s touchdown through the air, finishing with five receptions for 35 yards and a score.

It was Waddle’s first touchdown reception as a Bronco.

Through four games, Waddle has 16 receptions for 185 yards and a touchdown. His 16 catches are tied for ninth among AFC wide receivers this season.

Running back RJ Harvey also established a career high despite Denver’s offensive struggles.

Harvey caught 10 passes, giving him 67 receptions through his first 20 career games. That is the most receptions by a Broncos running back over the first 20 games of a career in franchise history.

Harvey became just the fifth running back in Broncos history to catch at least 10 passes in a game and the first to accomplish the feat since Javonte Williams recorded 11 receptions against Seattle in 2022.

Harvey has also emerged as one of the NFL’s most productive receiving backs early this season. His 193 yards after the catch lead all NFL running backs, while his 20 receptions rank third and his 132 receiving yards rank fifth at the position.

Denver’s defense had several notable individual performances despite allowing San Francisco to come away with the 10-point victory.

Inside linebacker Alex Singleton recorded a team-high 14 tackles, giving him his second double-digit tackle performance of the season.

Safety Brandon Jones added nine tackles, including six solo stops. Jones now has 31 tackles this season, the third-highest total among NFL safeties.

Defensive lineman Zach Allen made his presence felt on both defense and special teams.

Allen blocked a San Francisco field-goal attempt, his second blocked kick since joining Denver in 2023. That total is tied for fourth among Broncos players since at least 2000.

Allen also finished with five tackles, including two solo stops, and led Denver with three quarterback hits.

Punter Jeremy Crawshaw repeatedly helped Denver with field position, placing four punts inside San Francisco’s 20-yard line. It was the second-highest single-game total of his career.

Crawshaw now has 39 punts inside the 20 during his career, the third-most by a Broncos player over his first two seasons since at least 2000.

The loss moved Denver’s all-time regular-season record against San Francisco to 8-8. The Broncos are 3-6 on the road in the series.

Denver leaves Santa Clara at 2-2 after facing a San Francisco team that remained perfect through the opening four games of the season.