JACKSONVILLE – Call this one a tough task with a bit of a historical twist.
The Jaguars on Sunday will visit the San Francisco 49ers in what by any measure is a tough early-season matchup. The reasons it is tough are many.
The Jaguars never have won on the road against the 49ers, and they have won in California just four times in 31 seasons. That's the historical stuff.
Far more significantly, these 49ers – while dealing with a slew of injuries – are very good. That has been their norm in recent seasons under one of the NFL's best and most-innovative head coaches, Kyle Shanahan. They're 3-0, contending again in an NFC West that ranks among the NFL's toughest divisions.
They run consistently, play sound defense and hold up well in close games. They have one of the NFL's best and most-versatile running backs, Christian McCaffrey. They also have one of its best middle linebackers, Fred Warner.
The Jaguars enter Sunday 2-1, clearly improved and forming a physical identity under Head Coach Liam Coen. They're creating turnovers, running consistently and won a huge AFC South game over the Houston Texans last week.
Sunday is a huge opportunity for the Jaguars, a chance to beat a very good team and show the league they are also a good team. It's a chance to win on the West Coast, long something they have struggled to do.
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Winning will take their best game of the season to date. Here are 10 things the Jaguars must do to do it:
- Run. This remains the key to the Jaguars' offense. They ran effectively In Weeks 1 and 2, then did so again in the second half in Week 3. This appears to be developing into a strength on which this team can rely.
- Be patient. This is about Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The 49ers' defense wants to force teams to throw short passes and score on 10-to-12 play drives. The idea is to make quarterbacks eventually get impatient and make mistakes. The Jaguars will have opportunities downfield. Lawrence must be patient until those opportunities arise.
- Get an early lead. The Jaguars have trailed for just :18 this season – the final :18 of a 31-27 loss at Cincinnati in Week 2. Getting a lead on the road against a balanced offense such as the 49ers can keep the Jaguars in the game throughout. Falling behind such a team on the road can be dangerous.
- Avoid the "oh no" interception. Lawrence has thrown 4 interceptions this season, including a maddening and frustrating few thrown into coverage. The 49ers' defensive approach will be to assume Lawrence will make such a mistake. He must minimize them Sunday.
- Take the ball away. The Jaguars lead the NFL with 9 takeaways. To win on the road against good teams, they figure to at least come close to maintaining that pace. Also: The Jaguars have yet to score a defensive touchdown. Taking that step would be huge Sunday.
- Catch. The. Ball. Drops by wide Brian Thomas Jr. and wide receiver Parker Washington nearly cost the Jaguars dearly against the Texans. It's hard to imagine beating the 49ers with multiple first downs dropped.
- Get THE involved offensively. Jaguars rookie wide receiver Travis Hunter provided a glimpse of what makes him special with a 21-yard make-defenders-miss reception against the Texans. This offense has proven it can be steady. Hunter needs the opportunity to make it spectacular.
- Make an explosive. This involves Hunter, but it also involves the rest of the Jaguars' playmakers. Players such as Hunter, running back Travis Etienne Jr., running back Bhayshul Tuten, Thomas and Dyami Brown have the ability to score from anywhere on the field. The Jaguars' longest touchdown this season is 11 yards. Scoring one from long range would be a huge momentum boost in an environment such as Levi's Stadium.
- Contain McCaffrey. Running back Christian McCaffrey remains one of the NFL's most versatile, dangerous players. He has just one touchdown this season. He figures to have a breakout game soon. The Jaguars can't let this be that game.
- Pressure the quarterback. Jaguars defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker have pressured quarterbacks consistently, with Hines-Allen turning in a remarkable game against the Texans. This duo must disrupt.
- 10a. Just win. This could be a low-scoring, scratch-and-claw game. The Jaguars won such a game Sunday. They may need to do it again.
