Broncos continue to struggle with slow starts. It cost them against unbeaten San Francisco

Updated Oct. 5, 2026 5:14 p.m. ET

Associated Press

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Sluggishness finally caught up to the Denver Broncos in a loss at San Francisco that could prove even costlier with injuries to cornerbacks Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss and rising second-year receiver Pat Bryant.

Coach Sean Payton declined to reveal any updates on their conditions Monday.

For the fourth consecutive week, the Broncos started slow and by the time they rallied in the fourth quarter Sunday, it was too late; they were saddled with a 24-14 loss.

The Broncos (2-2) have scored just 13 points before halftime so far and they've put up 61 points after the break, including 39 in the fourth quarter.

They rallied to beat the Jaguars and Rams at home after trailing by double digits but their propensity for slow starts has proven costly with losses at San Francisco and Kansas City.

Payton said after the game it was too early to consider changing things up with new play-caller Davis Webb, but clearly Webb and quarterback Bo Nix have some chemistry to build — and fast — with a trip to play the Chargers up next before hosting the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

“It’s too early. It’s a fair question; I appreciate it. It’s tough to discuss any of that right now,” Payton said when asked about switching up the play-calling duties. “But I told those guys, ‘Hey, we’ve played some tough teams, and this is another good football team.’”

Nix trusts the kinks will get ironed out soon between him and Webb.

“Yeah, I’m real confident in him. I think when you look at the overall landscape, we’ve played four of the top teams in the league, and not easy for a first-time OC as young as he is to go against some of the, quite frankly, the best teams in the league," Nix said.

“So, he definitely is going to continue to work to put us in the right spots. ... I think it’s just overall something that we've got to continue to help him and execute, and as players, you've got to put him in a better spot.”

The Broncos punted on five of their first six possessions against the Niners and scored just three points in the first three quarters.

“Obviously, we want to have a really explosive offense and that’ll come, but we’ve played really good teams,” Nix said. "We’ve played four really good challenges so far, and we’re sitting here at 2-2. I definitely don’t think we hit the panic button, but at the same time we just have to continue to grind and find ways to get better.”

What’s working

Backup cornerbacks Jahdae Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine performed well when pressed into duty. “I thought they came in and did a real good job,” Payton said. “It was good to see. I think it's a position we have depth at and those guys both kind of got thrown into the fire and I thought handled it well.”

What needs help

Webb and Nix need to figure out how to jumpstart the offense from the start, which would only help Denver's stout but tiring defense.

Stock up

RB R.J. Harvey was a one-man band, piling up 157 total yards Sunday. He caught all 10 passes thrown his way, for 68 yards. he rushed seven times for 25 yards and had 64 yards on two kickoff returns.

Stock down

PR Marvin Mims Jr.'s fumbled punt return was the turning point in the Broncos' loss. Moss has either been injured or ineffective going back to training camp and isn't nearly the sparkplug he's been in the past for the Broncos special teams.

Injuries

Surtain (ankle), Moss (ribs) and Bryant (ankle) could miss multiple games.

Key number

5 — punts in six drives through three quarters for the Broncos, who had a field goal, a touchdown and a missed field goal on their three fourth-quarter possessions.