The Denver Broncos have vaulted themselves back into the AFC playoff race, led by a resurgence from their defense. The next target in their sights? Rookie quarterback Nick Mullens and the San Francisco 49ers. Despite being at home in Levi’s Stadium, the 2-10 49ers are 5.5-point underdogs, with the total set at 43.5.
- San Francisco is 1-7 ATS in its last eight December home games.
- Denver is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games.
- The UNDER has hit in Denver’s last five games (avg. combined score: 41.8).
THIS SUNDAY I’M BETTING DENVER -5.5
San Francisco has allowed 38 sacks this season, the sixth-most in the NFL through 13 weeks. The Niners’ struggles protecting the quarterback will be magnified on Sunday, as their opponent is a Denver Broncos club that is fifth in the NFL in sacks, and features one of the most fearsome pass-rushing duos in the league.
Denver has six-time Pro Bowler Von Miller, who is second in the league with 12.5 sacks and by himself is a handful for any offense to block. But the Broncos also have rookie Bradley Chubb, the fifth overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, who also has 10 sacks on the season. Not only is the 22.5 combined sacks an incredible statistic, but Miller and Chubb are third among all edge-rushing duos with 79 combined quarterback pressures.
With opposing quarterbacks always under fire, it speeds up their internal pass clock, taking away their ability to let deep routes develop and forcing them into quick throws, playing right into the hands of a ball-hawking secondary that also has the fifth-most interceptions in the NFL.
With points going to be hard to come by for the 49ers, they’re going to have to lean on their defense to keep them in the game. Unfortunately, they give up the fourth-most points per game in the league and Denver’s offense has topped 20 points in six of its last seven games.
With a three-game win streak, Denver is 6-6 and in the middle of the hunt for the last wild-card spot in the AFC. San Francisco owns the league’s worst record at 2-10 and is playing like a cellar-dwelling team. I don’t see the Niners scoring, nor do I see them keeping this close. I’m taking the Broncos to cover on Sunday.
A FAMILIAR SIGHT IN THE DENVER BACKFIELD
Seeing a Denver running back, wearing number 30, marching all over opposing defenses is an all-too-familiar sight. And no, it’s not Hall of Famer Terrell Davis back taking handoffs, it’s the new star of the Broncos backfield, Phillip Lindsay.
Following a dominant 19-carry, 157-yard performance against Cincinnati, where he added two rushing touchdowns, Lindsay is the talk of the Mile High town. His second straight 100-yard game, third straight game averaging more than seven yards per carry and third straight contest breaking at least one 32-yard run, Lindsay has 937 rushing yards on the season, likely breaking the 1,000-yard mark in a big way. Very impressive, considering he’s only started five games this season.
Lindsay, at just five-foot-eight, actually has more in common with “TD” than just wearing his famed number 30; Davis was quite underrated, having been drafted in the sixth round in 1995, just as Lindsay was unheralded, not having been drafted at all.
While it’s just a touch early to compare the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite to a Hall of Famer, it’s undeniable that Lindsay has been the driving force of the Broncos offense this year, and with games against San Francisco, Oakland and Cleveland up ahead, both Lindsay and Denver are primed for a big finish to the season.
SAN FRANCISCO ROOKIE SHINING IN A DARK SEASON
San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Dante Pettis has come on strong the past couple of games, logging 77 yards and a touchdown in Week 12, then 129 yards and two scores in Week 13.
With his performance on Sunday, the 2018 second-round pick became the first San Francisco rookie to log 100 receiving yards since Terrell Owens in 1996, and the first Niners rookie to log both 100 yards and two receiving touchdowns in a game since 1969.
With Denver’s top cornerback Chris Harris Jr. sidelined with a fractured right fibula, Pettis could be in store for a third strong performance … if quarterback Nick Mullens can avoid the dynamic Denver pass rush and get him the ball.
