Denver Broncos Host San Francisco 49ers In Sunday Night Showdown

San Francisco 49ers - Denver Broncos

Week 7- 10/19/14

Time: 8:30 PM EDT

TV: NBC

Location: Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium

Line: Broncos -6 (Westgate Superbook)

The biggest clash of the week takes place Sunday night as the 4-2 San Francisco 49ers make their second straight road trip east to take on the 4-1 Denver Broncos. Both teams are just a 1/2 game out of their respective divisions.

The 49ers are coming off their first game of the season scoring 30 or more points in their Monday night come-from-behind win over the St. Louis Rams. The Rams jumped out to a quick 14-0 first quarter lead but the 49ers were able to right the ship and pour it on with 24 unanswered points in their 31-17 victory. Colin Kaepernick passed for 343 yards and three touchdowns. The defense contributed with a touchdown of their own with :53 remaining in the game when Dontae Johnson intercepted Austin Davis for a 20-yard pick-6.

The 49ers defense will have a laser focus on Peyton Manning as his march toward Brett Favre's 508 career touchdown passes continues. Manning is just two touchdowns away from tying Favre's record. Last week, Manning threw three touchdowns in Denver's 31-17 victory over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium and is averaging three TD's per game.

The 49ers will have their hands full with the Broncos receiving corps, but special attention will need to be made in containing Julius Thomas, who has caught nine touchdown passes this season and is well on his way to shattering Rob Gronkowski's single season record for tight ends with 17. Thomas caught two last week against the Jets.

The Broncos defense once again flexed their muscle as cornerback Aqib Talib picked off Geno Smith for a 20-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the game. The defense enters the game ranked 4th overall and will need every bit of their talent to handle Kaepernick, who not only is a threat passing the ball, but can also chew up yardage on the run. Kaepernick currently leads the NFL in quarterback rushing with 242 yards.

2014 Record

San Francisco 49ers

Overall:

4-2 (Second, NFC West)

Home:

2-1

Road:

2-1

Denver Broncos

Overall:

4-1 (2nd, AFC West)

Home:

3-0

Road:

1-1

Head-To-Head Record

Regular Season:

49ers lead 7-6

Playoffs:

49ers lead 1-0 (1/28/90, Super Bowl XXIV. The 49ers defeated the Broncos 55-10.

At Denver:

Broncos lead 3-2 (Last time these two teams met in Denver was on 12-31-06 in a 26-23 49ers win.)

Last Time Met:

10/31/10 in London, England. The Broncos met the 49ers at Wembley Stadium in London. Troy Smith (12-of-19 for 196 yards and one interception) started at quarterback for the 49ers in place of the injured Alex Smith.

The Broncos led 7-3 as the fourth quarter began. The 49ers would score three touchdowns in the quarter, including a 3-yard run for a score by Frank Gore (29 carries for 118 yards) to put them up 24-10 with 3:52 remaining.

Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton (28-of-40 for 370 yards, one touchdown and one interception) would connect on a 1-yard touchdown to Brandon Lloyd (seven catches for 169 yards and one touchdown) to pull the Broncos within 24-17 with 2:22 remaining, but that would be as close as they would get.

It would be revealed later on that the video director for the Broncos illegally videotaped a 49ers practice in London. The Broncos and head coach Josh McDaniels were fined $50,000 each. The incident hastened the end of McDaniels as head coach.

2014 Stats:

Last Game

49ers

10/13/14 at St. Louis Rams. 49ers defeated the Rams 31-17

Broncos

10/12/14 at New York Jets. Broncos defeated the Jets 31-17.

Notes:

This will be the Broncos 40th appearance on "Sunday Night Football." The Broncos are currently 14-6 at home on Sunday nights.- The 49ers are 13-1 in October since Jim Harbaugh took over as head coach in 2011.- Since taking over as a starter for the 49ers in 2011, Colin Kaepernick leads the league in touchdown passes from outside the pocket. In that same time span Peyton Manning leads the league in touchdown passes from inside the pocket.-

Starters

Injury Report

What To Look For As The Broncos Take On The 49ers:

Peyton Manning Is Two TD's From Brett Favre's 508 Career TD Record

Manning heads into Sunday night's game against the 49ers sitting at 506 career touchdowns, two shy of Brett Favre's record. It took Favre 302 regular-season games to reach the milestone. Sunday night is Manning's 246th regular-season game. Manning is averaging three touchdowns per game, but is facing the NFL's 2nd ranked passing defense. However, the 49ers defense is entering their game against the Broncos with a few key injuries that include linebacker Patrick Willis, who has been ruled out for the game.

Keeping Colin Kaepernick Contained

The Broncos have already faced three quarterbacks who have rushed for more than a 100 yards this season in Alex Smith (108 yards), Geno Smith (102 yards) and Russell Wilson (221 yards). Sunday night they will take on the top rushing quarterback in Colin Kaepernick and his 242 rushing yards. The Broncos defense will have their hands full containing Kaepernick. Sealing off the edges and keeping Kaepernick in the pocket, especially on third downs, will be of prime importance. A healthy Von Miller will be the key in maintaining the pressure on Kaepernick and ending plays before they can develop.

Can Ronnie Hillman Duplicate His 100 Yard Rushing Game Against The Jets?

The Broncos couldn't have asked for anything more from Ronnie Hillman than the 100 yard performance he delivered against the New York Jets and their top 10 run defense. Hillman became the fourth running back in franchise history to rush for 100 yards in his NFL debut.

The 49ers bring the league's 5th best run defense to Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday night. The Broncos would be happy for Hillman to pick up first downs on third-and-short and eat the clock up in the second half if they are ahead in order to keep Kaepernick off the field.

Shutting Down Frank Gore In Order To Keep Manning And The Broncos Offense On The Field.

Since Week 4 the 49ers have rediscovered their running game behind Frank Gore. Gore is averaging 4.3 yards per game and with Kaepernick's ability to run as well as pass, defenses have had to play conservatively to guard against the big play from the 49ers quarterback. This has led to big running lanes opening up for Gore to exploit and he has done just that.

The Broncos defense will have it's hands full on Sunday night keeping a lid on the big play potential from Gore as well as Kaepernick. If the Broncos can't shut the running game down, they enter the game ranked 4th in the NFL against the run, then Manning and the Broncos 4th ranked passing attack can't get on the field which would spell a long night for Denver.