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Aug 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) drops back to pass in the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Broncos Crush 49ers 30-9: 4 Takeaways on Bo Nix & More

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 12:46 AM ET

The rust fell off in chunks on Saturday night, as the Denver Broncos returned to the gird-iron in preseason Game 1 vs. the San Francisco 49ers. In a Levi's Stadium that has become familiar to the Broncos and replete with great memories, Denver trounced the 49ers 30-9.

There was a lot to take away from the action, so without further ado, let's dive into the takeaways.

First-Team Problems

The Broncos' first-team units on both sides of the ball were inconsistent and a tad disappointing, but it was the first game since that Wildcard playoff loss in Upstate New York, seven months ago. The 49ers' second-team offense got the ball first and marched down the field like a hot knife through butter vs. the Broncos' starters.

When Mac Jones hit Jordan Watkins on a 50-yard strike on that opening possession, despite Ja'Quan McMillian being in excellent coverage, it was a bit disconcerting. The 49ers kept driving and the Broncos got them stopped on third down, but Kyle Shanahan said 'what the heck,' and went for it on fourth with a Jones quarterback sneak. One play later, Patrick Taylor was in the end zone.

It wasn't all bad on defense, though, as Nik Bonitto single-handedly wrecked Jones' last possession. Bonitto notched a sack and three straight pressures as the 49ers punted. Those extension talks could catch fire as soon as Saturday night.

Offensively, things were disjointed. Bo Nix looked solid initially, but after Courtland Sutton bobbled an expertly thrown deep ball down the left sideline on Denver's first possession, it seemed to suck the life out of the offense.

Sean Payton wasn't happy with the first-teamers, and with the offense being his baby, he kept Nix and company out there perhaps a bit longer than he initially intended. After Nix was able to lead a scoring drive punctuated by a Wil Lutz 42-yard field goal, Payton pulled the plug on the starters.

Chalk it up to first-game jitters, rust, and cobwebs. Had it been a regular-season game, Nix and company would have had the opportunity to battle through the initial bumps in the road, and bounce back.

While many denizens of Broncos Country felt a rising sense of panic upon seeing Nix finish as the team's lowest-rated quarterback, it's important to remember that this was an exhibition game. Nix has looked great all summer and this was his first live-bullet exposure since Buffalo.

Don't go running for the panic button just yet. It won't be safe to do that until six weeks into the regular season anyway.

Elite Depth

The Broncos showcased one of the hallmarks of a contender on Saturday night in Santa Clara, CA: elite depth. Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham relieved Nix in the second quarter and would go 14-of-15 for 136 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Broncos in rushing with 36 yards on three carries. He finished with a QB rating of 144.0.

Newcomer Trent Sherfield Jr. is going to be a factor on offense. His touchdown catch in the second quarter was something to behold.

Gonna be a factor, Sherfield is. Just realized I kinda Yoda'd that caption. pic.twitter.com/ar9mIAGG7S
— Mile High Huddle (@MileHighHuddle) August 10, 2025

Denver's running back stable looks vastly improved, with the backups doing some heavy lifting after RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins sat down for the night. Tyler Badie and Blake Watson shined, both averaging north of six yards per carry.

Jaleel Mclaughlin was the third running back onto the field, but he finished as the least productive. However, his position in the pecking order seems to be written in stone. Meanwhile, it's time to worry a bit about Audric Estime's future.

Defensively, the Broncos poured it on, taking the ball away four times, and sacking the quarterbacks twice. Depth standouts included safety JL Skinner (forced fumble) and cornerbacks Kris Abrams-Draine and Jaden Robinson, as well as rookie defensive lineman Sai'vion Jones, who recovered a fumble.

The backup offensive line had some penalties, but did a solid job protecting Stidham, while blasting open some big holes for the aforementioned running backs. Injuries are part of the game, which is why teams with elite depth have the longest legs in the NFL.

Running Game Renaissance

Last year, the Broncos finished 16th in rushing, but without Nix's 430 ground yards, it would have been a much more dismal ranking. The Broncos invested in personnel and installed some new wrinkles to their offense this offseason in an effort to boost the running game, and the early returns on those investments are promising.

The Broncos finished with 368 total yards, 453 of which were on the ground. The average rush was 4.5 yards. Promising signs, as former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan said on Friday that a young quarterback's best friend is both a great defense and a good running game.

“A good defense and a good running game, and I think you’re going to see both of them with Denver,” Shanahan said via Aric DiLalla of the team website.

Lutz: Much Ado About Nothing

Broncos fans were a bit worried about Lutz after he missed several kicks during the team's joint practice with the 49ers on Thursday. However, on Saturday night, he went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts and 3-for-3 on extra point tries.