Total Play in 49ers vs. Broncos

49ers vs. Broncos, 8:20 ET

Maybe you shouldn't trust me. This NFL season hasn't started strong, but we have a long way to go. Last year was very successful, but this year I feel like I second guess myself and don't take the easy answer. Thursday Night Football was a prime example. My initial play was to take Cleveland to cover. They did with ease, but I started looking into other things and played the under. It was a loss. Then I literally typed out to take Amari Cooper at +850 for the first touchdown of the game. I took it off the card and said to play field goal as first score. I did it because I felt like I was forcing the touchdowns too much. Sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and refocus. That's what I'm trying to do here.

San Francisco won their game last week with ease, but they lost something more significant. They lost Trey Lance for the entire season pretty early into the game. Now, they turn to a familiar face in Jimmy Garoppolo. He looked really good in the return against a Seattle team that is probably playing better than most expected (certainly better than I expected). Garoppolo has had very mixed reviews but this might be his last chance to make a name for himself in the league. He certainly has the ability to be a starting quarterback, but aside from one season, he hasn't really taken advantage of his opportunities. It hasn't been all of his fault, there are some times when the injury bug hit and he didn't get his full access to the opportunity. I do like the way the team looks with him under center, but the 49ers have lost their starting running back and quarterback in back-to-back weeks. Their defense still should be their calling card, but their offense will need to be creative.

The 49ers defense should be familiar with their opponent in this next one, Russell Wilson. Wilson hasn't looked great in this one, and the Denver fans are already trolling him by counting down the play clock for him while he is playing. He has just two touchdowns so far on the year, but he has completed almost 60% of his passes. As the season goes on, he should get a better connection with his receivers. Denver's defense looks fine, but not great, so we will need to see some more penetration from their front line. Their cornerbacks have been okay overall and came up with stops when they needed. The biggest concern right now is that head coach, Nathaniel Hackett, can't really hack it. Sorry, I had to. He looks lost, overmatched, and confused right now. There is a clear advantage for the 49ers in that aspect.

Both teams have some issues on offense right now. The Broncos are probably a couple of weeks away from making that next step. The 49ers will also probably need a little time to adjust to Garoppolo (even though they looked good when he came into the game). I'll take the under 44.5 for the game at -110.

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