The Denver Broncos play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in what most people call the dress rehearsal for the regular season. I agree with that to a point: it’s still a preseason game and it’s dangerous to read anything into any preseason game. If the Broncos look good against a good 49ers team, it doesn’t mean they are going to go 13-3. If they struggle, it doesn’t mean they are going to go 3-13. The third preseason game is a LITTLE more like a regular season game but it’s still not what you are going to see on Sept. 9 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. So, just be careful how much you are taking out of any game that doesn’t count.
Having said that, there are two things that I will be watching on Sunday afternoon, or three if you count Peyton Manning. Manning’s progress is obviously the biggest story, but the running game on both offense and defense is the other thing I’ll be focused on. The Broncos want to be a balanced offense with Manning, but haven’t run the ball too great in the preseason.
The 49ers are one of the best, if not the best, run defenses in the NFL and will provide a great test for Willis McGahee and the running game for the Broncos. With Manning playing into the third quarter, fans will probably see a more balanced attack and it will be a better evaluation of the running game. In the first two games, Manning was in for a limited number of plays and it was obvious that the Broncos wanted to throw more to help get Manning back into the flow of a football game.
On the other side of the ball, the Broncos need to show that they can stop the run. They really struggled versus the Seattle Seahawks, especially on runs up the middle. If the Broncos are going to be the defense they need to be, then they have to be better against the run. As they do on defense, the 49ers represent a great test for the run defense of the Broncos. They were one of the best running teams in 2011 and Frank Gore is a top five running back. The Broncos are going to have a good to great pass rush and are much improved in the secondary, but they must fix the run defense.
As we get closer to Sunday, I will point out some additional stories and players to keep an eye on as the Denver Broncos play their most meaningful preseason game. Remember what I said earlier, though, whatever the result is on Sunday means nothing. You can look for certain things, but don’t make season-long judgements based on a glorified practice.
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Top 5 might be a little generous. Lets see. Foster, McCoy, Rice, CJ2k, Forte, Charles, AP, S-Jax, Richardson…well. he is a top 10…ish back. The defense is the real test.
That’s a fair point, still a very good running team that will be a good test.