The Denver Broncos just ran into the buzzsaw that is the San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco improved to 4-0 on Sunday, the Broncos fell to 2-2, and suddenly there are a lot of questions about a team that just appeared in the AFC Championship Game.

Denver’s offense managed only 14 points, the defense lost key pieces to injury, and the play-calling setup that drew pushback early on is back under the microscope. So the immediate question becomes, who actually showed up for the Broncos, and who didn’t?

Let me bring you up to speed with this week’s winners and losers.

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Broncos winners against the 49ers

RJ Harvey, RB

Running back RJ Harvey has to be No. 1. His rushing yardage and carries didn’t jump off the page, but he finished with 10 receptions.

I know some might push back and say that was only because quarterback Bo Nix was dinking and dunking his way down the field. The truth is, Harvey is one of the most explosive players on the Denver offense when you get the ball in his hands. We saw it on the last couple of drives while the Broncos tried to mount a comeback. Harvey gets north and south, and he makes guys miss.

He did have a fumble, which guard Quinn Meinerz recovered. Even so, it was a good game from Harvey. In my opinion, he should not only be the lead back but also a featured weapon in this offense.

Jaylen Waddle, WR

Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle led the team in receptions against the 49ers and caught his first touchdown pass as a member of the Broncos. He very clearly still has the best ability to separate in that receiver room.

Denver needs to get him the ball, especially with Pat Bryant going down. On top of that, Waddle needs more manufactured touches. Much like Harvey, he makes defenders miss in open space, and he’s dangerous after the catch.

The offensive line

The offensive line is our third and final winner. Nix wasn’t sacked, and when the Broncos needed to grind out tough yards, the line showed up. Garett Bolles, Meinerz, and company were getting down the field and creating vertical displacement.

I don’t blame them for the 14 points.

Broncos losers against the 49ers

The injuries

The injuries have to be the biggest losers of the day. Cornerback Patrick Surtain II went down with a scary-looking injury, which is labeled as an ankle at this point.

Pat Bryant also went down. He’s been a revelation in the early portion of the season for the Denver offense, and you could feel his absence out there. Then Riley Moss went down, which means Denver lost its top two corners. I have to think that played a role in San Francisco’s ability to put the game away late.

The pass rush

That didn’t help, but neither did the pass rush. Nik Bonitto was out there, and the pass rush was still nonexistent. Brock Purdy had all the time he wanted to throw. Denver didn’t generate pressure, and it didn’t get the quarterback on the ground once.

Courtland Sutton, WR

It wasn’t a pretty day for wide receiver Courtland Sutton either. He finished with only one catch, and that’s not what he’s being paid to do. Sutton is technically the X, the boundary receiver, and the No. 1 wideout in Denver. He didn’t look anything like that Sunday.

Davis Webb and Sean Payton face real questions

Part of me has to wonder how much of this comes down to play caller Davis Webb. He’s had a month’s worth of games now, and this offense still turns into a fourth-quarter scramble where the Broncos dial up some magic and hope it works.

I’m going to give Webb the benefit of the doubt because he’s a first-year play caller learning on the fly. Nix hasn’t exactly been great either. We’ve also seen Webb call some good games, and I think a lot of this comes down to execution. That being said, Webb is going to have to pick it up soon.

If he doesn’t, Broncos coach Sean Payton will start getting questioned. All of this, whether it’s Sutton’s struggles or the lack of explosiveness, is somewhat on Payton. He’s the one who made Webb the play caller, and he received a lot of pushback for it early on.

The bottom line is that Payton just doesn’t look like he does well as a CEO head coach. He doesn’t. When his offense scores 14 points, it’s fair to criticize, and it’s fair to ask whether this is Payton’s best role. Denver is 2-2 after losing to a red-hot 49ers team, and that question isn’t going away until the offense gives a better answer.