San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer (2) hands off to running back Carlos Hyde during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)

By Jeremy Harness

SANTA CLARA – Granted, this is the preseason. But still, Saturday night’s game at Levi’s Stadium left a lot to be desired. And on offense, it left little hope, if any at all.

The 49ers wasted a very nice defensive effort from the starting unit by turning the ball over five times and generating next to no offense in a 33-14 loss to the Denver Broncos in their second exhibition game.

The 49ers defense forced a punt on the first series, but a huge mistake on special teams shifted the momentum of the game dramatically, when backup safety Jaquiski Tartt was found to have touched the ball with his calf while covering a punt.

Denver’s Will Parks then recovered at the 49ers’ 11-yard line. Two plays later, cornerback Rashard Robinson was flagged for pass interference in the end zone, placing the ball at the 49ers’ 1. C.J Anderson plowed through two 49er defenders across the goal line three plays after that to give Denver a 7-0 lead.

Starting quarterback Brian Hoyer completed eight of his 11 passes for 89 yards, but he had a rather-forgettable night, particularly due to one play.

Late in the first quarter, Hoyer had the ball slide right out of his hand as he took his arm back to throw, and defensive end Shelby Harris scooped up the loose ball for the Broncos, killing a drive filled with potential.

“It’s literally the worst feeling I’ve ever had as a quarterback,” Hoyer said. “I went to throw it hard, and all of a sudden, I don’t know where the ball is.”

Early in the second quarter, Hoyer found Marquise Goodwin over the middle but ended up with an interception when Chris Lewis-Harris snatched the ball away from Goodwin as he was going to the ground while still gathering in the throw.

On the positive side, the first-team defense, which played much of the first half, fared pretty well against one of the better teams in the NFL, giving up only 148 total yards in that timeframe.

Robinson, the rookie corner whom the 49ers are expecting to cover the opposition’s best receiver this season, had a nice overall showing after being burned multiple times in Kansas City.

Although he was flagged for pass interference in the first quarter, he did fairly well in covering All-Pro receiver Demaryius Thomas, giving up only a 4-yard catch and making a fine open-field tackle on a third-down screen pass in the second quarter to force a field-goal attempt.

Tartt, meanwhile, atoned for his early special-teams miscue with a big third-down sack late in the second quarter that forced Denver to kick another field goal.

The 49ers got on the board on its first possession of the second half, when tight end George Kittle caught a screen pass and broke two tackles along the sideline, tight-roping his way into the end zone to cut Denver’s lead to 20-7.

If there is a glimmer of hope on the offensive side, it was that rookie quarterback C.J Beathard had a solid outing. Playing in the second half, he hit on seven of his 12 throws for 110 yards and the touchdown, backing up the strong performance he had against the Chiefs.

Rookie receiver Victor Bolden got a chance to show off his speed late in the fourth quarter, as he took a kickoff and out-ran the Broncos en route to a 104-yard touchdown return. In all, Bolden returned six kicks for 184 yards on Saturday.