49ers Facing a Major Test Tonight in Chilly Denver Against the Broncos

Do the San Francisco 49ers finally have their act together, or has history struck again?

Defending Super Bowl champions have, in recent years, had a tough time of it, and the jinx appeared to have hit the 49ers early this season. Losers of four of their first seven games, the 49ers fell far behind the division-leading Rams.

The last two weeks, however, the 49ers have shown signs of righting themselves, knocking off the Rams, 28-14, and Philadelphia, 24-13.

At 5-4 and 2 1/2 games behind the Rams, the 49ers may have dug themselves too deep a hole to win their division, but a playoff berth is not out of reach, provided they keep winning.

“We really cannot afford to lose any more games,” said cornerback Ronnie Lott.

The 49ers’ road back to respectability continues tonight when they visit sold-out Mile High Stadium for a game with the Denver Broncos (6-3). The forecast calls for a chance of snow and temperatures in the 30s, but meteorologists say it probably won’t be a repeat of last year’s Green Bay-Denver game on Monday night which was played in a blizzard.