Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group
49ers defensive lineman Mykel Williams, heart, celebrates with teammates after stopping the Arizona Cardinals protection within the fourth quarter of Sunday’s sport in Santa Clara. (Jose Carlos Fajardo – Bay Space Information Group)
By JOSH DUBOW
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SANTA CLARA — The formulation for fulfillment on offense for the San Francisco 49ers has been fairly constant since Kyle Shanahan took over as coach in 2017.
When the Niners can management the clock, grind out yards on the bottom and put on down the opposition, that usually results in good outcomes.
That’s what has made the previous two video games so stunning. San Francisco has been pressured to go to a pass-happy strategy with the working sport struggling, however has nonetheless managed to win regardless of passing on almost two-thirds of their offensive performs.
The 49ers (3-0) will look to get the bottom sport happening Sunday after they host the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1).
“Each week’s a brand new week,” mentioned working again Christian McCaffrey, who’s averaging solely 3.4 yards per carry. “The season comes with a variety of totally different challenges. Actually what it comes right down to is executing your job as finest as you may and taking part in past the X’s and O’s and caring for the ball and doing stuff like that. However each play has a lifetime of its personal. Each sport is totally different.”
The 49ers have received back-to-back video games whereas failing to hurry for 80 yards in both — matching their whole variety of wins with fewer than 80 yards speeding within the first 145 regular-season and playoff video games beneath Shanahan.
San Francisco has no TD runs via three video games for the fourth time ever and backup Mac Jones turned the primary Niners QB to win back-to-back begins with a minimum of 39 go makes an attempt since Steve Younger in 1998.
The Niners will get beginning quarterback Brock Purdy again this week after he missed two video games with a toe damage and would love to have the ability to set up the run once more.
The Jaguars are additionally attempting to alter a pattern, having misplaced 11 of their final 12 street video games. Doing it out west can be particularly difficult for a staff that has a 4-15 file all-time on the West Coast, with three of these 4 wins coming in Oakland.
Jacksonville has received each dwelling video games this season, whereas dropping in Week 2 at Cincinnati.
“If we are able to play good, complementary soccer, higher than we did final week, I like what we do,” defensive finish Josh Hines-Allen mentioned.
Changing Bosa
The Niners have the powerful process of changing star edge rusher Nick Bosa after he went down with a season-ending knee damage final week. Bosa was the one confirmed go rusher on the roster and now San Francisco must depend on first-round rookie Mykel Williams and veterans Bryce Huff and Yetur Gross-Matos to generate stress.
“Clearly it’s an enormous blow to our staff, however we transfer ahead,” linebacker Fred Warner mentioned. “I hate to say next-man-up mentality, as a result of you may’t simply exchange him with one participant. However the mission remains to be the identical.”
Offensive errors plague Jaguars
The Jaguars lead the league with 13 dropped passes, together with six by Brian Thomas Jr. It’s one in every of a number of self-inflicted woes the offense is coping with in coach Liam Coen’s first season.
Jacksonville has been flagged six instances for holding, 5 instances for unlawful shifts, 4 instances for false begins and as soon as for a delay of sport.
“We’re nonetheless attempting to determine what it’s actually we’re finest at within the go sport and what that appears like,” quarterback Trevor Lawrence mentioned.
Armstead returns
Jaguars defensive deal with Arik Armstead is returning to the town the place he spent the primary 9 years (2015-23) of his NFL profession. He raved about Shanahan in addition to McCaffrey and mentioned he’s most wanting ahead to reuniting with former teammates after the sport.
“You undergo a variety of ups and downs with individuals, identical to I’m doing right here,” mentioned Armstead, the reigning Walter Payton NFL Man of the 12 months. “That’s what I cherish probably the most is these relationships, these bonds.
“You’ll neglect about video games, and also you’ll neglect about wins and losses or stats at instances. However the individuals that you simply have been with, you don’t actually neglect about that.”
Admiring Hunter
Jacksonville’s two-way rookie Travis Hunter hasn’t made a huge effect but this season, with simply 76 yards receiving on offense and one go defensed and 9 tackles on protection. With eight snaps on protection this week, Hunter will change into the fourth participant to play a minimum of 100 snaps each methods up to now 20 seasons.
“I believe it’s superior,” McCaffrey mentioned. “It’s uncommon you see anyone play on either side of the ball. So extra energy to him.”
McCaffrey mentioned he final performed each methods in highschool when he was a working again and security with former NFL star Brian Dawkins as his place coach.
“That was one of the best,” he mentioned. “I had a variety of enjoyable taking part in beneath him.”
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