There has to be a reason why Sean Payton said the Denver Broncos are capable of winning Super Bowl 60. And it probably came from the defensive side of the ball. Brock Purdy knows, as the Broncos made his life miserable in a joint practice.
Multiple posts on X told the story, including this one from Zac Stevens.
“Outside of Christian McCaffrey catching passes out of the backfield, the Broncos’ defense has shut down the 49ers' offense so far.
“Pass rush has been all over Brock Purdy and the QBs. Run defense has been incredibly stout, not allowing anything easy, including TFLs. And coverage has been sticky.”
Broncos' defense locking things down
The Broncos repeatedly got their defensive mitts on Purdy, according to Chris Tomasson.
“Broncos have already registered several what would be sacks on Brock Purdy”
And Stevens weighed in again.
“Broncos’ defense looks as advertised so far against the 49ers. Getting after Brock Purdy like crazy, including sacks, and not giving Christian McCaffrey much room on the ground.”
The Broncos are doing things the right way so far, including the signing of a key defensive player.
Adding Dre Greenlaw also played into the team’s improved outlook, according to CBS Sports.
“[Greenlaw] plays like Mike Tyson,” Payton told the Broncos website. “He's tough, he's physical. He's built that way. There's not a lot of leaky yardage. Some guys [allow that]. He's a knock-back tackler. They stop where he hits them. There's an intensity to how he plays. He's one of those players that if you put the film on and didn't say anything, at some point early, you'd ask, ‘Who is this guy?'”
And Greenlaw added that he simply enjoys playing the game.
“I just go out there and give it my all,” Greenlaw said. “You never know when it's going to be your last chance on the field, last chance to play. You want to make a strong statement any time you can. I just love doing it and [I'm] thankful to be able to do it.”
There was good news for Purdy, finally, according to a post on X by David Lombardi.
“First move-the-ball drive: Brock Purdy marches the 49ers right down the field against that vaunted Denver defense; 30-yard TD to Ricky Pearsall vs Jahdae Barron. Pearsall also made a first-down catch vs Surtain, CMC nice run, and Kittle a big chunk to convert downfield.”
