Patience Is Critical for Lawrence, Jaguars in Week 4 at 49ers | Wednesday Insider

Sep 24, 2025 at 08:13 PM

John Oehser

Jaguars Senior Writer

JACKSONVILLE – This task will require patience – with a dash of poise.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars' offense must show both Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, a team with a well-respected defense in both personnel and approach.

"This scheme has always been really good and tough to play against," Lawrence said Wednesday as the Jaguars (2-1) prepared to play the 49ers (3-0) at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday.

One reason the 49ers are perennially good defensively: Players such as Fred Warner, a four-time Associated Press All-Pro selection widely considered one of the NFL's best middle linebackers.

Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen, who coached against Warner and the 49ers as an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018-2020 and in 2022, cited Warner's length, athletic ability and ability to dissect offenses as strengths.

"We've got to make sure we get a hat on him in every possible scenario," Coen said.

Also key: the 49ers' defensive scheme. Not only are the 49ers a smart, talented defense, they play with a discipline that Coen said the Jaguars must match throughout.

Coen called Lawrence being patient Sunday "huge," because the 49ers mostly rush the quarterback with four down linemen and play linebackers and defensive backs in such a way as to prevent frequent big plays.

"That's basically what the scheme is saying out loud: 'We are going to play this defense, obviously try to get after you with four -- which they've been able to do – and say you're going to get greedy at some point," Coen said.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans

QB Trevor Lawrence (16)

Lawrence called the 49ers' defense "a pretty simple scheme."

"They're not trying to really trick anyone," Lawrence said. "They're so consistent and they're really disciplined. They fly around sideline to sideline, and make a lot of plays with that front group – and on the back end, they're really disciplined.

"They're really smart. You will have some opportunities down the field, but it's really taking that profit every time and being able to check the ball down. They've played really well with that scheme of just banking that you're not just going to take the small gains all the way down the field and put together a nine-, 10-, 12-play drive and go score.

"You can tell it's a really well-coached group. They fly around. They do a good job."

Coen added that the 49ers play extensive quarter and shell coverage designed to keep receivers contained with the idea of creating turnovers when quarterbacks eventually lose patience.

"You're going to get bored at some point," Coen said. "We'll see if that holds true this week for sure, but that's definitely what they've wanted to do through three games."

He added that the Houston Texans often play a similar scheme to the 49ers, with the Jaguars scoring 17 points with no second- or third-quarter touchdowns in a victory over the Texans at EverBank Stadium last Sunday.

"It just makes you as a play caller and as a quarterback have to be patient and meticulous and just keep taking what they end up giving you," Coen said. "We have to take advantage of the ops that we do get down the field that we didn't take advantage of this past week.

"It's a patient defense because it's really hard to say we've got to go operate for 10, 11 plays and go execute all those 10 plays up and down the field. They're counting on not giving up the explosives so that they can say you're going to punt to us more then you're going to score if you have to go on these long-extended drives."