SANTA CLARA, Calif. – They stood tough, they fought and they belonged.

Those things mattered, but what mattered most was the Jaguars beat a strong franchise in a tough venue in an important, well-played early-season game.

Jaguars 26, San Francisco 49ers 21.

That was Sunday's score in a Week 4 game at Levi’s Stadium, with the Jaguars using a turnover-centric defense and a huge play from the special teams to beat the previously unbeaten 49ers and win on the road against the historic franchise for the first time in Jaguars history.

"Very proud of the way these guys keep competing," Head Coach Liam Coen said, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence adding: "It's a good football team we beat today."

Added Lawrence, "We're all pretty fired up after that."

San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on Thursday said the Jaguars did a "great job" legally stealing signs, with Coen and Saleh "meeting" briefly following the game. Coen declined comment on the "meeting."

"You use everything you can," Lawrence said. "If they're going to give you free fuel, you take it."

Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington returned a third-quarter punt 87 yards, with linebacker Devin Lloyd intercepting 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy twice and the Jaguars – who entered Sunday with an NFL-best 9 takeaways – forcing 4 turnovers.

"We all play off each other," Lloyd said.

The Jaguars have registered at least 3 takeaways in all four games to start the season.

"That's making plays in three phases," Coen said. "That really helped us win that game."

Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who played nine seasons for the 49ers, stripped Purdy from the ball just before the two-minute warning with linebacker Foyesade Oluokun recovering.

"Obviously I have a lot of memories in this building and I just made another one today," Armstead said.

The Jaguars led by 5 at the time and never relinquished possession.

The Jaguars (3-1) won for the first time in three all-time road games against the 49ers (3-1), who had beaten the Jaguars by double digits in each of the team's last five meetings.

"It was a full effort game by everyone," Lawrence said.

The four 49ers turnovers led to 17 Jaguars points and a 20-14 lead late in the third quarter when kicker Cam Little converted his second field goal of the game. Washington's punt return pushed the Jaguars' lead to 12 points.

Lawrence completed 21 of 31 passes for 174 yards and 1 touchdown with no interceptions, with running back Travis Etienne Jr. rushing for 124 yards and a touchdown.

Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. caught 5 passes for 49 yards.

The Jaguars registered 1 sack Sunday – Armstead's fourth-quarter strip – with a key takeaway early when linebacker Dennis Gardeck stripped 49ers tight end Luke Farrell with safety Andrew Wingard recovering at the 49ers 48.

Etienne's 48-yard touchdown gave the Jaguars their first lead on the ensuing play 19 seconds in the second quarter.

Coen said afterward he was "super-impressed with our ability to stay the course."

"The complementary football showed up, obviously making plays in three phases," Coen said. "It's not clean, but they play their tails off."

Added Lawrence, "It's a great start for us. There's going to be adversity and ups and downs. The way we've handled them has been awesome. The team's really coming together, getting behind each other and paying complementary football."

2025 Week 4, Step by step:

• Kicker Eddy Pineiro's 26-yard field goal capped a 13-play, 57-yard drive on the game's first possession and gave the 49ers a 3-0 lead with 8:33 remaining in the first quarter; that marked the Jaguars' second deficit of the season, having entered Sunday trailing for :18 in three games – the final :18 of a Week 2 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Etienne's 48-yard run gave the Jaguars a 7-3 lead with 14:41 remaining in the second quarter. The Jaguars extended the lead to 14-3 when tight end Hunter Long caught a 4-yard pass from Lawrence to cap a 13-play, 89-yard drive that began with Lloyd intercepted a deflection off McCaffrey's hands. Pineiro's 23-yard field goal cut the lead to 14-6 with :40 remaining, with Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten's 54-yard kickoff return setting up Little's 26-yard field goal on the half's final play for a 17-6 Jaguars lead.
• McCaffrey's 8-yard touchdown pass from Purdy with a 2-point reception from Purdy pulled the 49ers to within 17-14 with 8:32 remaining in the third quarter. Lloyd's second interception set up a 44-yard field goal by Little that pushed the lead to 20-14 with 4:07 remaining in the third quarter. Washington's punt return to make it 26-14 came with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter, with Lawrence throwing incomplete to Washington on the two-point attempt.
• Purdy's 21-yard screen pass to tight end Jake Tongas cut the lead to 26-21 with 7:41 remaining.

Notable: Wide receiver Dyami Brown, the Jaguars' starting wide receiver opposite Thomas, was inactive for the Jaguars Sunday along with the following six players: rookie guard Wyatt Milum (knee), reserve running back Cody Schrader, defensive tackle Khalen Saunders Sr., defensive end Danny Striggow, linebacker Yasir Abdullah (hamstring) and safety Kahlef Hailassie. Jaguars rookie defensive end B.J. Green II was active for the first time in four games, and the Jaguars on Saturday activated tight end Quintin Morris and wide receiver Austin Trammell to the active roster from the practice squad via standard elevation.

Injury report: Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker sustained a wrist injury in the first half and did not return. Right tackle Anton Harrison sustained an elbow injury in the second quarter and returned. Safety Eric Murray sustained a neck injury in the first half and did not return. Guard Patrick Mekari sustained a knee injury in the fourth quarter.