Top 5 49ers vs. Broncos Matchups To Watch In Week 7

At 506 career touchdown passes, Peyton Manning is just two shy of the NFL record held by Brett Favre. However, the San Francisco 49ers lead the NFL in completion percentage against (55.9) and pass yards per attempt allowed (5.9) and rank second in pass yards allowed per game (207.3).

Nonetheless, Manning will, at the very least, tie Favre's record this Sunday.

Antoine Bethea is the leader of the 49ers' secondary, and he's going to have his hands full on Sunday. On top of possibly guarding Julius Thomas, he has to worry about Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and a small town in Nebraska named Omaha.

Through five games, Julius Thomas only has 24 receptions, which is less than both Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. But he has nine touchdowns, which is more than both D. Thomas and Sanders combined. He's a threat to score every 2.67 times he touches the ball. The 49ers need to contain him.

The Broncos have the NFL's 4th-ranked run defense, so it will be difficult for the 49ers to establish the ground game, which means No. 7 will have to go to the air to make things happen. The book is out on whether that's good or bad, because Kaepernick is notoriously inconsistent when passing the ball. He could blow up and throw for 300-plus yards or he could blow up and throw pick-sixes.

He's like a box of chocolates.

Making matters worse for Kaepernick is the rag-tag bunch making up his offensive line. Typical stalwarts Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis haven't been cleared to play, and if they don't the run game will suffer. But that's not all.

The Broncos average three sacks per game, and if the 49ers can't run the ball or give Kap enough time to pass it, it'll be a long day in the Mile High City for Jim Harbaugh's crew.