49ers vs. Broncos third quarter thread: The Niners have to finish drives this half

The Broncos added a field goal to start the second quarter. Kyle Shanahan declined a holding call on third down. Some will say, “it’s better than converting 3rd & 17,” but that ignores the flow of the game and how dominant you’ve been on the defensive side. Plus, the Broncos kicker had already converted a 50-yard field goal this year. I would have liked to see Kyle Shanahan roll the dice and bet on his defense.

Garoppolo underthrew Deebo Samuel on the ensuing possession. It went down as a 32-yard reception, but the Niners had to end up punting. But Mitch Wishnowsky had one of the better punts you’ll see as it hit the half-yard line and bounced straight into the air. Samuel Womack made an incredible play to prevent the kick from being a touchback.

The Broncos put together an impressive drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock after starting from their 1-yard line. But a tackle for loss on a well-timed run blitz from Talanoa Hufanga and a sack from Drake Jackson took them out of field goal range to preserve a 7-3 score.

A Mike McGlinchey hold killed a drive, and Denver had the ball at midfield with just over one minute to play. Samson Ebukam forced a holding penalty and that made it 3rd & 23. The defense held as they usually do. At the half, it’s 7-3.