The 2016 Denver Broncos only went 9-7, good for a third place finish in the AFC West.
But that record was far superior to the 2016 San Francisco 49ers, who culminated the season with a 2-14 mark which put the team in the NFC West cellar.
This season, though, there’s a new buzz and new energy surrounding the 49ers as first-year head coach Kyle Shanahan and new general manager John Lynch are attempting to revitalize the franchise. And this week, the 49ers will be met with an excellent measuring stick.
The 49ers will line up against the Broncos in practice in Santa Clara on Wednesday and Thursday, and then they’ll square off in a preseason game at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday.
On Wednesday morning, 49ers’ quarterback Brian Hoyer joined the Murph and Mac Show on KNBR 680 and discussed the opportunity Hoyer’s unit has to prove itself in the middle of August.
“People are going to go hard and we’re going to get a really good look at what we’re made of going against a really good team,” Hoyer said. “And especially offensively, going against a really good defense, we’re really going to challenge ourselves today and see what we can do.”
Despite finishing in third place last season, the Broncos’ defense ranked among the league’s best, as it allowed the fourth fewest yards per game in 2016 and boasted a feared headliner in outside linebacker Von Miller.
The opportunity to practice against an opposing squad is a welcome sight for any NFL team, even if there is a chance for tempers to flare. On Wednesday, Hoyer was asked about the possibility of players fighting this week, and he joked that as a quarterback, he certainly won’t be mixing it up.
“I can guarantee you I won’t be fighting anyone,” Hoyer said. “But I think it happens and that’s part of it. I know the coaches definitely don’t want it to happen. When you’re going against your own teammates people get in fights. So when you’re going against another team, you’re in close encounters, you’re not in a game, you’re not going to get thrown out of a game, you know it happens and unfortunately that’s part of it.”
To listen to Hoyer and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin chat with Murph and Mac, click the podcast below. To hear Hoyer’s comments about facing Denver, skip ahead to the five-minute mark.