The Jacksonville Jaguars are now 3-1 following a 26-21 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
With the clock having just hit zero, here are our instant takeaways from the Jaguars’ performance against the 49ers.
– With Montaric Brown back in the mix defensively, he took on a much larger role this week compared to last, which meant less playing time for Hunter. In nine snaps, according to PFF, Hunter made two tackles, allowing one reception on one target for seven yards. On offense, he showed his ball skills on display with an impressive over-the-middle contested catch. In total, Hunter had three receptions for 42 yards.
– It only took four games for the 2025 Jaguars’ defense under Anthony Campanile to surpass the 2024 Jaguars’ takeaways total.
– The defense also held the 49ers to just 1-for-3 in the red zone.
– A prime example of complementary football was the Jaguars’ ability to force turnovers and the offense to go down the field and put up points.
– Based on PFF’s early tracking data, the Jaguars’ offensive line unit again had another really strong showing in pass protection.
– Beyond the passing component of playing quarterback, I thought Trevor Lawrence’s overall command of the offense on the day was on display. He navigated the pocket, set the offense up well pre-snap, and knew where his outlet options were when needed. The numbers weren’t flashy, but the operation seemed clean.
– With that said, third downs did give the Jaguars’ offense struggles as they were just 4-of-14 on the day. A lot of drives started behind the sticks after not picking up positive gains on early downs.
– Dennis Gardeck was an under-the-radar free agent addition by the Jaguars, but he’s been a good one as well. He’s a core special teams contributor, is the third linebacker when the defense is in its base 4-3 look, and he absolutely flies around the field.
– In a contract year, Devin Lloyd is off to a strong start this season.
– This was Brian Thomas Jr.’s most efficient performance of the season.
– The Jaguars’ defense is operating at a very high level right now. We saw that before this game, but doing it against a Kyle Shanahan offense is not an easy task.
– The run game yards weren’t always easy, but the Jaguars again eclipsed 150 yards as a team. Accomplishing that is a big part of what makes the Liam Coen offense go.
– That kick return from Bhayshul Tuten was a big play to end the half, allowing the Jaguars’ offense to take back the three points that the 49ers had just scored. Parker Washington then, of course, added his own big special teams play in the second half.
– Whether it’s in the passing game or as a blocker, Brenton Strange does a bit of everything for the offense. That do-it-all presence at tight end opens up the playbook for Liam Coen.
– Travon Walker would exit early with a wrist injury. Anton Harrison would return after suffering an elbow injury in the first half. Eric Murray would exit the game as well with a neck injury.
– Still way too many penalties by the Jaguars’ offense.
(Please note that this article will be updated.)
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Instant analysis of Jaguars’ performance vs. 49ers
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
