The curse of Russell Wilson has been exercised as the 49ers defeated the Denver Broncos 21-20 to pick up their first win of the preseason.
The win was headlined by Brock Purdy making his first appearance in a game since injuring his elbow in the NFC Championship. He only played one drive, completing 4-of-5 passes for 65 yards, including a 25-yard catch-and-run to Deebo Samuel and a 15-yard completion to Brandon Aiyuk. It was the first glimpse of the starters in 2023, another sign that football is back.
The starters didn’t play enough to earn a spot on the winners and losers, but with plenty of position battles yet to be decided, Saturday night was another chance to make an impression.