DENVER_Their defense allowed an opening-drive touchdown. Then their offense punted within 55 seconds. Yes, the San Francisco 49ers instantly looked overmatched in Saturday night's exhibition visit to the reigning champion Denver Broncos.
But the 49ers' sluggish start didn't ruin their night. Several encouraging plays_and 400 yards from Chip Kelly's offense_ensued in their eventual 31-24 victory.
Free safety Eric Reid's interception return for a touchdown brought the 49ers to life, and Carlos Hyde soon followed with a touchdown run that helped the first-string offense save face.
At quarterback, Blaine Gabbert was an efficient 6 of 9 for 69 yards with no turnovers or sacks, as he again drew the start while Colin Kaepernick sat out with a sore arm. Speaking of Kaepernick, that throwing arm looked alive in pregame warmups, when he attempted more than 50 passes in a 25-minute workout.
If Kaepernick's arm responds well in practice in the coming days, his exhibition debut could come Friday night when the 49ers host the Green Bay Packers. He has not thrown in a formal practice since Aug. 10, nor did he play in last Sunday's exhibition opener.
More upbeat quarterback news came in the fourth quarter from the recently signed Christian Ponder, who ran for a touchdown (22 yards) and threw for one (30 yards to Dres Anderson) to break a 17-17 tie.
Were those positives _ along with Marcus Rush's three-sack night and Kenneth Acker's last-minute interception _ enough to overshadow the bad news, specifically the slow start and a rash of injuries to role players? Welcome to exhibition football.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Health scares: Injuries were a trend throughout the game. Linebacker Nick Bellore and rookie wide receiver Bryce Treggs left with knee injuries, and others to exit were Eli Harold (chest), Tony Jerod-Eddie (chest) and Nick Bellore (unknown).
Several players didn't suit up, most for precautionary reasons, including defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who has a "soft-tissue, lower-body" issue that isn't serious, general manager Trent Baalke said. Wide receiver Bruce Ellington (ankle), outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (eye), running back Shaun Draughn (back), wide receiver DeAndre Smelter (hamstring) and defensive linemen Arik Armstead (shoulder) and Glenn Dorsey (knee).
Bad pass rush: Don't be fooled by those two fumble-forcing sacks of Mark Sanchez just before halftime. The 49ers' starting defense had trouble getting pressure in the pocket, despite plenty of opportunities. Corey Lemonier, Eli Harold, Ronald Blair and Tank Carradine couldn't rattle Broncos starter Trevor Siemian, who opened 10-of-11 for 75 yards.
Once Siemian left, the 49ers did get past reserve linemen and to the Broncos' other quarterbacks. Carradine forced Sanchez to fumble, but on a scramble rather than a drop-back attempt.
Third-down woes: Arguably Gabbert's biggest issue last season as a starter was his third-down work. This game was a reminder of that. A third-down incompletion on the first series was followed by a third-down completion short of the first-down marker on the next drive. The first-string offense never got to a third-down snap on its touchdown drive.
