What we learned as Jimmy G struggles in ugly loss to Broncos

NBC Sports

What we learned as Jimmy G struggles in ugly loss to Broncos

DENVER — The new/old look 49ers took the field Sunday night for the first time this season.

Jimmy Garoppolo officially reclaimed his old starting job after second-year quarterback Trey Lance was lost for the season with a fracture and ligament damage to his right ankle.

Garoppolo struggled mightily in the 49ers’ ugly 11-10 loss to the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.

This game should have come with a warning, meant for a mature audience, because of the unsightly nature of its content.

The 49ers’ offense lacked consistency, and that is to be expected. After all, Garoppolo saw no practice time during training camp while his status remained in limbo.

Garoppolo had a chance to guide the 49ers to victory late in the fourth quarter but he was intercepted just before the two-minute warning after a pass intended for Deebo Samuel was deflected and picked off.

Here are the takeaways from the 49ers’ game against the Broncos:

Garoppolo makes return to starting lineup

Garoppolo produced one of the more embarrassing moments of his career when he dropped back to throw on a play that originated from the 49ers’ 2-yard line.

Garoppolo dropped back and kept dropping back until he stepped with both feet out of the end zone for a safety. The continuation of the play got the crowd even more excited because Garoppolo’s pass landed in the hands of a Broncos defender, who took it into the end zone.

But instead of six points, the Broncos were awarded two points to cut the 49ers’ lead to 7-5 in the third quarter.

And this was a game in which Garoppolo and his supporting cast made it look easy on the second drive of the game.

The 49ers’ offense looked crisp with Garoppolo at the controls early in the game.

Running back Jeff Wilson Jr., making his second start in place of injured Elijah Mitchell, ripped off a 37-yard run after Garoppolo opened the drive with a 20-yard pass to Brandon Aiyuk.

The 49ers capped the six-play, 75-yard scoring drive on Garoppolo’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Aiyuk.

Then, the 49ers’ offense hit a significant lull.

The offense did not get anything going for the remainder of the first half, which left the door wide open for the Broncos. The 49ers held onto a 7-3 lead at halftime.

Garoppolo completed 18 of 29 pass attempts for 211 yards. He threw one touchdown pass and was intercepted once. He was sacked four times for 32 yards.

The challenge of containing Wilson 

The 49ers’ defense looked dominant from the opening snaps of the game.

The 49ers put the clamps on the Broncos, who opened the game with three three-and-outs and just 11 yards of total offense.

The opening of Russell Wilson’s time with the Broncos has not gone smoothly. But he still showed plenty of the attributes that made him one of the great 49ers killers of his era. Wilson entered Sunday night with 17 wins over the 49ers in 21 head-to-head meetings while with the Seattle Seahawks over the past decade.

The Broncos did not move the ball on the 49ers’ defense until the final play of the first quarter, when Wilson bought time in the pocket and delivered a 36-yard pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

The Broncos ended up settling for Brandon McManus’ 55-yard field goal after coach Kyle Shanahan declined a holding penalty that would have (at least temporarily) moved the Broncos out of field-goal range.

Wilson went 20-of-33 for 184 yards. He didn’t throw any touchdown passes.

Big NFC West game looms

The 49ers are certainly going to have to play a more complete game in Week 4 when they take on the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football at Levi’s Stadium.

The Rams enter the matchup with a 2-1 record, including a 20-12 victory Sunday over the Arizona Cardinals.

Los Angeles has not exactly been sharp, either.

RELATED: Trent Williams exits 49ers-Broncos game with ankle injury

Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 249 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The Cardinals actually out-gained the Rams, 365 yards to 339.

The 49ers might have some injury concerns coming out of this game, as linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair left the game in the first half with a knee injury.

In the third quarter, All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams sustained an ankle injury and did not return. Second-year lineman Jaylon Moore took over for Williams and played the rest of the way.