3 takeaways from the Jaguars win over the 49ers

In the Jaguars win over the 49ers there was a lot to take from the game. Most people expected the 49ers to defeat Jacksonville. Quarterback Brock Purdy was returning from injury, the game was at home, and through 3 weeks the Jaguars have not faced an opponent as talented as the 49ers. This was not the case, however, and Jacksonville came home with a statement win to improve to 3-1.

The defense is the engine

The defense forced 4 turnovers in this game and leads the league with 13 for the season. As impressive as this is, it is also sustainable because of their playstyle. The two fumbles in this game were caused by the defense playing aggressively and playing smart. In the 2nd quarter, Dennis Gardeck comes in to deliver a hit while simultaneously punching the ball out. On the final defensive drive, Arik Armstead is able to strip Brock Purdy because of the pressure generated from the defensive line, forcing him to step up and not see the edge pressure.

Devin Lloyd has made the biggest improvement and impact on the defense so far. Lloyd had 2 interceptions against the 49ers, one of which was a perfectly disguised coverage where he undercuts the pass at the last second when Purdy cannot see him. Anthony Campanile has spent the last 6 seasons as a linebackers coach, and it is clear that he has had a significant impact on this defense, especially on Lloyd. This game capped off an excellent 4 weeks of play from the linebacker, winning him the defensive player of the month.

Trevor Lawrence still has a long way to go

While Trevor Lawrence was far from bad in week 4, he was also far from great. Lawrence finished the day going 21/31 for 174 yards and a touchdown. A clean game with a lot of improvement to be made. In the 1st half, Lawrence completed 15/20 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, but in the second half went just 6/11 for 42 yards. In the third quarter, with the momentum shifting back to the 49ers, Lawrence threw an inexcusable interception that was called back due to a defensive pass interference penalty. These kinds of plays cannot be happening in your 5th season of play.

The wild swings of inconsistency from quarter to quarter have hurt the offense at times. The mechanics and throwing motion have looked much improved. He is stepping into the throws more, and his footwork is much cleaner, but he still gets extremely jittery when pressured, forces ill-advised throws when the monentum shifts, and has inconsistent accuracy. It is early in the season, and there have been plenty of flashes of what he could be truly capable of, but so far there is still a long way to go.

The rushing attack is real

Travis Etienne had another monster game, rushing for 124 yards on 19 carries. The past two seasons the Jaguars rushing attack has ranked near the bottom in rushing yards and yards per attempt, with Etienne seeing a significant dip in production. In 2024, the Jaguars had two rushes of more than 30 yards, with Etienne's longest run being just 22 yards. In just 4 games under Liam Coen, all of this has changed. Etienne is putting up career-high averages in yards per game, yards per attempt and has 3 30-yard or more rushes.

Liam Coen has made the running game much more unpredictable. Under Press Taylor, the run game was very basic, primarily running the ball up the middle on obvious downs. In Liam Coen's new system, there is much more creativity. We have seen jet sweeps, runs outside the tackles, and pre-snap motions to keep the defense off balance. Because of this, the Jaguars running attack has slipped from one of the worst to one of the best, ranking 4th in rushing yards and 6th in yards per attempt.

The offensive line has also been a massive improvement. Travis Etienne ranks 2nd in the league in yards before contact at 194. For some perspective, for the entire 2024 season Etienne, had 283 yards before contact. The line is getting much more push off the line of scrimmage, giving the backs plenty of room to operate and get downfield.

With breakout seasons from Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne, the team now has a clear strength on both sides of the ball. Lawrence's inconsistency gives room for concern, but heading into the biggest game of the season also presents a massive oppurtunity for him to change the narrative.

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