Week 3 Preview: Denver Broncos vs San Francisco 49ers

Two 1-1 teams in transition at quarterback will butt heads on Sunday Night Football in Week 3 when the San Francisco 49ers visit the Denver Broncos. The 49ers will seek to prove their potential is not diminished by the unfortunate unavailability of their young quarterback Trey Lance, and the Broncos will hope to finally prove their massive offseason acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson has elevated them to contention. The 49ers are narrow 1.5-point favorites to travel to Mile High and steal a win.

The Broncos haven't quite gotten what they bargained for when they traded a bounty of picks for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, at least not yet. Denver has struggled to put points on the board so far this season, ranking 24th in scoring thanks in large part to a disastrous 0/6 conversion rate on red zone trips. Otherwise, the Broncos offense has actually been fairly productive: they've run for an impressive 4.9 yards per attempt, and they rank eighth in net passing yards. If Wilson can find his footing and the Broncos turn around their red zone woes, they might actually have a complete team on their hands: the team's defense ranks third in yards allowed as well as points allowed.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers are back where they started after a tumultuous offseason that saw them commit to second-year quarterback Trey Lance despite an NFC Championship game appearance under Jimmy Garoppolo last year. The 49ers believed Lance could bring a dynamic rushing component to the offense that 2021 starter Garoppolo simply lacked. But after Lance's rough start to the season reached its nadir with a season-ending leg injury early in Week 2, the 49ers had no choice but to pin their hopes back on old Jimmy. Garoppolo delivered in relief, scoring three touchdowns to lead the 49ers past the Seattle Seahawks in a 27-21 win. The 49ers gamble on Lance's talent has been undone, but they may be better for it: the team had only scored 13 points under Lance in a little less than five quarters of play.

The Denver Broncos host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football in Week 3.