The Broncos won their preseason opener over the San Francisco 49ers, 30-9, but left the Bay Area with more questions than answers.

Here are five things The Denver Gazette hopes to learn entering the team’s second preseason game on Saturday against the Cardinals at Empower Field:

1. Will Bo Nix bounce back?

The starting quarterback mostly struggled over three offensive series against the 49ers. His deep balls were underthrown. He earned a safety after being called for pass interference in the end zone. His only scoring drive against San Francisco’s backup players resulted in a field goal. There is no reason to panic considering the stakes of preseason football. But another slow start against the Cardinals should halt momentum of the Nix hype train. He needs a strong outing to put any questions to rest that he’s ready to take another step forward in 2025.

Broncos RB Audric Estime: 'I feel I've gotten better' after up and down rookie season

2. Is Audric Estime the odd man out in running back rotation?

The running back hierarchy is taking shape with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey on the first-team offense. Audric Estime, a 2024 fifth-round draft pick out of Notre Dame, did not play until the second half. He averaged 2.6 yards per carry despite a team-leading eight rushing attempts. That production fell short of the average yards per carry for Tyler Badie (6.4) and Blake Watson (7). Maybe the sample size isn’t big enough. But the window for Estime to prove he belongs is shrinking, especially after being a healthy scratch in last season’s AFC Wild Card playoff loss to the Bills.

Broncos safety P.J. Locke really did grow an inch after spinal fusion surgery

3. Will defensive depth continue to shine?

The most encouraging Broncos sign from the preseason opener was the complete domination by defensive reserves. The 49ers were held scoreless over the final three quarters. Denver tallied four takeaways (three interceptions and a fumble recovery). San Francisco quarterbacks Carter Bradley and Tanner Mordecai combined to throw for 53 yards on 9-of-20 passing. It appears Denver will have difficult decisions filling out the 53-man roster at defensive line and cornerback. A wealth of talent at those positions is a good problem to have after the Broncos’ defense was mostly spectacular a year ago. But they need to prove it against better quarterbacks, too.

Broncos at 49ers grades: Denver’s 30-9 win in preseason opener

4. Will penalties get cleaned up?

The officials were hard at work in Denver’s preseason opener. The Broncos were flagged 11 times for a total of 87 penalty yards. Among the most glaring? Running back Jaleel McLaughlin scampered for 22 yards to near the goal line, but it was called back due to offensive holding on wide receiver Pat Bryant. The Broncos later settled for a field goal. It’s just one example of many learning opportunities during the preseason. Steady improvement in those areas over the final exhibition games will indicate whether players are taking those lessons to heart.

Broncos at 49ers: 3 takeaways from Denver's 30-9 preseason victory

5. What are the “14 things” that coach Sean Payton is upset about?

Payton’s quest for perfection is not limited to play on the filed. On Saturday, in the postgame news conference after beating the 49ers, he said: “I’ve got 14 things written down that I’m (angry) about that have nothing to do with the game. … The willingness of the player, employee, all of us to accept and make those corrections are important.” Was his morning latte served cold? Did he not like the white jersey and white pants uniform combination? It’s hard to tell exactly what went wrong outside the game. But you can trust that adjustments will be made after strong comments from the head coach.