We hand out one well-deserved game ball to the San Francisco 49ers from the Niners\u2019 20-14 victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 14.<\/h3>\n

On yesterday\u2019s\u00a0Locked On 49ers Podcast<\/a>, host Brian Peacock provided a rundown of the Niners\u2019 game \u2014 including game notes and key takeaways \u2014 and handed out a single game ball from the San Francisco 49ers\u2019 upset win over the Denver Broncos.<\/p>\n

The 6-6 Broncos entered\u00a0Week 14 of the 2018 NFL regular season with a three-game\u00a0winning streak and a clear path to a wild card spot in the AFC playoffs. With upcoming matchups against three teams with losing records \u2014 the 49ers, the Cleveland Browns and\u00a0the Oakland Raiders \u2014 if Denver could sweep those three winnable games, their\u00a0playoff hopes would come down to a Week-17 showdown with a Los Angeles Chargers team the Broncos defeated in Week 11.<\/p>\n

Less than a year after a disappointing 2017 inaugural season, things were finally falling into place for head coach Vance Joseph<\/a> and the Denver Broncos.<\/p>\n

And then George Kittle<\/a> happened.<\/p>\n

Sunday\u2019s 20-14 victory over the Broncos was a team affair for San Francisco, which included improved play from quarterback Nick Mullens<\/a>, the 49ers\u2019 offensive line and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh\u2019s defensive unit. But given his historic performance, our lone game ball from Week 14 goes to the 49ers\u2019 most valuable player of 2018, and the NFL\u2019s most complete tight end,\u00a0George Krieger Kittle:<\/p>\n

49ers TE George Kittle<\/h3>\n

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle had the game of his career in just one half of football on Sunday. Kittle entered Week 14 needing just 73 receiving yards to surpass former 49ers tight end Vernon\u00a0Davis<\/a>\u2019 franchise record for receiving yards by a tight end in a single season. The 2017\u00a0fifth-round draft pick broke that record by the end of the first quarter, and he was just getting started.<\/p>\n

On the first play of the next drive, Kittle snuck out of the backfield,\u00a0caught a pass from Mullens and proceeded to outrun the entire Broncos secondary for an 85-yard touchdown. Kittle\u2019s catch-and-run put the electric tight end over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. The last member of the Niners to eclipse the century mark through the air was wide receiver Anquan Boldin<\/a> in 2014.<\/p>\n

By the end of the first half, Kittle amassed an impressive stat line of seven receptions for 210 yards and a score. Unfortunately, an extremely quiet second half kept him from breaking former Denver Broncos star Shannon Sharpe<\/a>\u2018s single-game record of 214 receiving yards by a tight end.<\/p>\n

However, Kittle still has the opportunity to break additional records this season; with a team-leading 1,103 receiving yards over 13 games, Kittle is on pace for 1,358 receiving yards in 2018, which would top New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski<\/a>\u2018s\u00a0NFL-best 1,327-yard season in 2011. With just 18 NFL games under his belt, tight end George Kittle has only begun breaking records \u2014 and winning games \u2014 for the San Francisco 49ers:<\/p>\n

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Listen to Locked On 49ers host Brian Peacock\u2019s review of the San Francisco 49ers\u2019 Week 14 victory over the Denver Broncos \u2014 including game notes and key takeaways from the Niners\u2019 third win of the season \u2014 on yesterday\u2019s\u2019\u00a0Rapid React podcast<\/a>:<\/p>\n