Kittle’s 56-yard touchdown seals 49ers’ 24-14 win over Broncos

George Kittle turned a screen pass into a 56-yard touchdown with 2:15 remaining, giving the San Francisco 49ers enough room to finish a 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Levi's Stadium. San Francisco improved to 4-0 after spending the first half in a 3-3 tie; Denver fell to 2-2.

Bo Nix had brought Denver within three points with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle and Tyler Badie's two-point run at 4:05 of the fourth quarter. Brock Purdy answered on the next possession, finding Kittle short to the left and letting the tight end carry the ball through Denver's defense to restore a two-score lead.

The opening for San Francisco came on special teams. At 9:52 of the third quarter, Siran Neal forced Marvin Mims Jr. to fumble a punt return and recovered at Denver's 28. The 49ers still needed nine plays to cover that short field before Purdy found Deebo Samuel Sr. for a one-yard touchdown with 4:15 left in the quarter.

That sequence broke a game in which neither offense had found the end zone. San Francisco had failed on a fourth-down quarterback sneak and had Eddy Piñeiro's 54-yard field-goal attempt blocked by Zach Allen just before halftime. The defense kept those missed chances from becoming a larger deficit.

Christian McCaffrey added a one-yard touchdown run at 8:52 of the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 17-6 before Denver's late scoring drive. The NFL's official clip shows the short-yardage finish.

Purdy completed 19 of 30 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns, with no interception or sack. Mike Evans, active after entering the weekend questionable with a rib injury, caught five passes for 76 yards. Kittle finished with four catches for 70, making his final touchdown the bulk of his receiving production.

Samuel contributed in both parts of the offense: five receptions for 26 yards and the touchdown, plus 44 rushing yards on three carries. McCaffrey had 52 rushing yards on 15 attempts and three catches for another 18. San Francisco's variety helped it produce three second-half touchdown possessions despite a difficult start.

Nix completed 25 of 42 passes for 214 yards and one touchdown. RJ Harvey caught all 10 of his targets for 68 yards, while Waddle finished with five receptions for 35. Courtland Sutton managed one catch for four yards on six targets.

The injury follow-up matters for both teams. Denver lost starting cornerbacks Pat Surtain II to an ankle injury and Riley Moss to a rib injury. San Francisco fullback Kyle Juszczyk exited with a knee injury early in the fourth quarter. His future availability was not settled by the in-game announcement.

San Francisco next visits Seattle, while Denver travels to face the Chargers in Week 5.

Game sources