Purdy's late 56-yard strike lifts 49ers past Broncos

Purdy delivers the finish

Brock Purdy's 56-yard touchdown pass with 2:15 left sealed the San Francisco 49ers' 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, October 4, at Levi's Stadium.

Purdy completed 19 of 30 passes for 218 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, delivering the decisive deep throw after Denver had cut a two-score deficit to 17-14. His connection for the 56-yard score ended the Broncos' comeback bid and pushed San Francisco's win probability from 88% to 100%.

The 49ers moved to 4-0 by surviving a scoreless first quarter, a 3-3 halftime tie and Denver's fourth-quarter rally. The Broncos fell to 2-2 after leading 3-0 early, then going nearly three quarters before their offense reached the end zone.

Christian McCaffrey supplied the touchdown that appeared to put the game away, powering in from 1 yard with 8:52 remaining for a 17-6 lead. Denver answered with Bo Nix's 13-yard touchdown pass and a successful two-point conversion, but San Francisco needed only five plays to restore control.

Takeaway changes the middle

The game turned in the third quarter, when San Francisco recovered a fumble on a punt return at the Denver 28. That play swung the 49ers' win probability from 64% to 78%, and the ensuing possession became the afternoon's defining march: 13 plays, 92 yards and 6:29, capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass for a 10-3 lead.

Denver had controlled the first meaningful possession with a 15-play, 55-yard march that produced a 52-yard field goal. But the Broncos could not build on it, while San Francisco pulled even before halftime with a 12-play, 74-yard drive and then missed a field goal on its final possession of the half.

Nix completed 25 of 42 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown without an interception, and RJ Harvey caught 10 passes for 68 yards. Denver also found a late response after McCaffrey's score, but its final possession ended with a missed field goal.

The underlying edge belonged to San Francisco. EPA measures expected points added on each play; the 49ers posted 0.15 EPA per play to Denver's 0.05, converted positive-EPA plays at a 48% success rate to 40%, and gained 0.47 EPA per pass play against Denver's 0.10. Mike Evans added five catches for 76 yards, while Dre Greenlaw led the 49ers with 12 tackles.

Denver visits the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, October 11, at 2-2. San Francisco visits the Seattle Seahawks that day at 4-0.