Broncos-49ers box score

SAN FRANCISCO — Call it the good, the not so good and the unknown.

The Broncos left the Bay Area with all of it stuffed in their luggage Monday night after they opened the preseason with a 17-13 victory against the San Francisco 49ers at Monster Park.

The starting offense was good, the run defense not so good and there is roughly 330 pounds worth of unknown in the form of defensive tackle Gerard Warren's future with the team.

The Broncos were working to trade Warren, who is entering his third year with the team and signed a $36 million deal with the team before the 2006 season.

The Broncos left Warren in Denver because the team believed a trade was imminent, and coach Mike Shanahan wouldn't say after the win if Warren still would be with the team today or make the trip to Dallas when it leaves this afternoon for a week.

But Shanahan met with Warren to apprise him of the possibility of a trade before the team left for San Francisco.

"I'm not going to get into detail, but we thought we had a trade done and I'll talk about a little bit more (Tuesday) and things are finalized," Shanahan said. "We kept him home because we thought there was a trade."

Reminded he wouldn't be available today, Shanahan said, "Well, then I'll talk to you Wednesday."

Amon Gordon started in Warren's right defensive tackle spot against the 49ers.

Warren, despite the fact Shanahan said he was healthy, did not practice in either of two workouts Friday.

According to two league sources contacted Monday night, the Broncos had spoken with at least Miami and Washington about a trade.

Broncos assistant head coach/defense Jim Bates is a former Miami assistant and the Broncos have made the Redskins a frequent trading partner in recent years. Warren certainly would fit Washington assistant head coach Gregg Williams' defensive scheme.

The Broncos also are believed to have at least contemplated releasing Warren if no deal can be worked out, and there are some in the organization who believe Warren still could remain on the roster if no deal is struck.

The Broncos were to return to Denver after the game — with a scheduled arrival about 1 a.m. — and were set to leave for Dallas this afternoon.

"I don't think any of us know what's going to happen right now," safety John Lynch said of Warren. "Honestly, when he didn't practice this past week, very much there was a part of me that thought something was up. But we just don't know right now."

On the field, the Broncos used two touchdown drives on their first three possessions of the game — the first coming on the starting offense's only work of the evening — for the bulk of their scoring.

The starters bashed 67 yards down the field in eight plays, finishing things with a 1-yard run by Travis Henry.

Henry rushed for 27 yards on his five carries and broke several tackles along the way, giving the Broncos exactly the kind of power with the ball they had hoped for when they signed him in March.

A 9-yard run around the left side of the Broncos line was of particular interest when Henry battered two 49ers defenders before being pulled to the ground.

"That one he had around the left-hand side, there's not a lot of human beings that can make that run," Shanahan said. "That gives you an idea of the capabilities he has."

"And after that was the first (touchdown) for me in Denver, so it felt good," Henry said. "That first drive, that felt really great to me."

Overall, the Broncos rushed for 182 yards on 35 carries — a 5.2-yards average.

Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler completed 1-of-2 passes, with his only completion going for 24 yards to Javon Walker, which also was Walker's only catch of the game.

Patrick Ramsey, in his first season as the Broncos' No. 2 quarterback, finished 4-of-10 for 45 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Broncos added their only other points with 4:46 remaining in the third quarter, when rookie kicker Brandon Pace closed a 12-play drive with a 26-yard field goal to push the Broncos' lead to 17-13.

In the end, though, Shanahan singled out the Broncos' run defense as the evening's biggest trouble spot. The 49ers, with Frank Gore sitting out with a fractured bone in his right hand, still rushed for 144 yards.

That total included 55 yards by rookie Thomas Clayton, 30 yards from Maurice Hicks and 25 yards from former Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson.

"Obviously, we've got a long ways to go with our rush defense," Shanahan said. "They ran the ball extremely well and, obviously, we've got to get better in that area."

D.D. Lewis, who has drawn raves for his work in recent practices with his speed to the ball, started at strong-side linebacker on the first-team defense.

Lewis, Nate Webster and Warrick Holdman opened training camp competing for the job, but Holdman now likely will miss the season after being told not to participate on the field for at least three months because of a neck injury he suffered early in camp.

Broncos players will go over the video of Monday night's game at an 11 a.m. meeting with their coaches; injured players will receive treatment; then the team will return to Denver International Airport to board a chartered flight to Dallas.

The Broncos will practice with the Cowboys on Wednesday and Thursday — two practices each day — with Denver scheduled to practice by itself twice Friday.

The Broncos will face the Cowboys on Saturday night in a preseason game.

legwoldj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2359

Back to Top