Offense
Dig deep enough, and there's a silver lining to the Broncos losing Emmanuel Sanders: their passing game wasn’t worth a darn in the first place. Did you know Denver’s three straight wins came without Case Keenum eclipsing 205 yards? The downside: defenses will focus on Phillip Lindsay.
Advantage: 49ers
Defense
If this season doesn't end well, ‘D’ coordinator Joe Woods can add Jared Goff to his list of references. Asked for the toughest defense he’s faced, the Rams QB said: “This year it was the Broncos.” Cool, then 49ers QB Nick Mullens, who threw for 414 yards last week, should be no biggie.
Advantage: Broncos
Special teams
While Aqib Talib and DeMarcus Ware stole the headlines with the robust 2014 free agent class, Emmanuel Sanders is their equal as a Bronco. The only whiff: not sticking him back on punt returns. If it’s OK for Antonio Brown, it should be for Sanders. Would’ve avoided the Isaiah McKenzie era, too.
Advantage: Broncos
Coaching
Here’s where Vance Joseph’s own proclamation hurts his cause: “This job is not broken. It’s a reboot,” the coach said upon being hired. Then the Broncos shouldn’t have gone 5-11 and needed three straight wins to reach .500. For the record, Kyle Shanahan is 8-20, Joseph 11-17.
Advantage: 49ers
Intangibles
Say someone told you the Broncos would lose Chris Harris Jr., Emmanuel Sanders, Matt Paradis, Jake Butt and Ronald Leary by Week 14? Ouch. And a 6-6 record would sound about right. But the Broncos should beat the 49ers going away. Effective trickery from Kyle Shanahan keeps it close.
Advantage: Broncos
Credits:
Photos by The Associated Press