Niners’ nuggets: Special-teamer Neal’s fumble recovery ignites 49ers’ win over Broncos

The 49ers are undefeated through four games after beating the Denver Broncos 24-14 at sweltering Levi’s Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The defenses dominated for much of the game, as it was tied at three when the teams paused for halftime, but the 49ers gathered momentum in the second half as Brock Purdy completed nine of his last 10 attempts. The last of those passes was a blitz-beating screen to George Kittle for a 56-yard touchdown as Jake Brendel made a key block to free Kittle up.

That was the 49ers’ longest play, and their only gain of more than 25 yards, though Siran Neal’s forced and recovered fumble on Marvin Mims’ punt return was effectively a 61-yard gain that helped the Niners grab control of the game.

Here are a few nuggets from the 49ers’ latest victory.

Turning point: The 49ers got the ball in Denver territory when Mims fumbled on a punt return with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. His wrist hit the ground when his leg was wrapped up by Siran Neal, and the ball popped out. A quick official review confirmed the call, though CBS analyst Trent Green argued Mims’ forearm hit the ground, which would have meant he was down by contact.

Stat that tells the story: Brock Purdy went unsacked yet again, as the 49ers have yet to allow one all season long through four games now. This time, they stymied a Denver defense that had 68 sacks last season to lead the league.

Zebra report: The 49ers committed just one accepted penalty, when Deommodore Lenoir was flagged for delay of game for trying to keep Courtland Sutton from returning to the Broncos’ huddle late in the second quarter as Denver tried to mount a quick drive.

They said it: “It was definitely a little bit sluggish as an offense, but there were some body blows in there, some good things that we did, some good things that we saw that we could go into the second half and capitalize on.” – Christian McCaffrey on the slow first half

Wait, what?: McCaffrey is in his 11th season in the NFL but he had never played the Broncos, his hometown team and the franchise where his dad, former 49ers receiver Ed, won a pair of Super Bowls. He arrived to the 49ers via a 2022 trade weeks after the last time they played Denver. He missed the Carolina Panthers’ game against the Broncos in 2020 with a hamstring strain. The 49ers’ star scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to make it a two-score lead and finished with 52 yards on 15 carries.

Medical tent: Kyle Juszczyk suffered a knee injury in the fourth quarter when he was hit low on a reception by Denver’s Jahdae Barron. Coach Kyle Shanahan said initial tests indicated his ACL is intact. He Upton Stout went down with a shoulder injury, as well. Marques Sigle suffered a right ankle injury on a kickoff return late in the game. He earlier went out briefly with a stinger. Mike Evans appeared limited throughout with a rib injury that had him questionable entering the game. Denver lost star cornerback Patrick Surtain II, counterpart Riley Moss and young receiver Pat Bryant to leg injuries.

What’s next: The Niners will be back on the road next weekend for the first time in nearly a month when they visit the defending Super Bowl Champion Seahawks in Seattle. Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. at Lumen Field, with the game airing on Fox.