SANTA CLARA, Calif. | Jarrett Stidham threw two TD passes following a lackluster performance from Bo Nix and Denver’s starters, and the Broncos beat the San Francisco 49ers 30-9 in the preseason opener Saturday night.

The teams approached the game very differently following a joint practice on Thursday when top players from both teams got plenty of work. San Francisco played only a handful of starters in the game, while Denver played most of its front-line players for at least a few series.

“The importance of coming off of a three-, four-day trip like this and a lot of plays is the debrief, getting back home and cleaning things up,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “There were a number of things that we’re going to have to improve on.”

Nix and the offense had three possessions with the

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