Jaguars vs. 49ers: 5 Players to Watch

Football is back in Jacksonville! The Jaguars have not played at home in almost a month, besting the Colts 37-20 on October 15th in their latest home contest. The bye week came at just the right time as it has given players the chance to get healthy. Andre Cisco, Tyson Campbell and Walker Little look healthy and ready to go before an arduous six game set, which includes the 49ers, Bengals, Ravens, and two divisional matchups.

Here are my five Jaguars to watch if Jacksonville is to improve to 7-2.

RB Travis Etienne

Travis Etienne has been the MVP of the offense midway through the season. The young tailback has accumulated 849 yards and eight touchdowns in just eight games. Those stats put him on pace for a monster 1,800 yard and 17 touchdown season from scrimmage.

The Niners’ defense is tough -- real tough. Their defensive front seven is as nasty as it gets, highlighted by Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Arik Armstead, Javon Hargrave and Fred Warner. Warner might just be the best off-ball linebacker in football. Sunday, he’ll be tasked with facing one of the NFL’s best at running back, Etienne. It should be quite the matchup.

WR Calvin Ridley

Jacksonville is in need of another big game from Calvin Ridley. Ridley’s time in Jacksonville, thus far, has been hit or miss. At the bye, 306 of Ridley’s 451 receiving yards have come in just three games. The remaining five games, Ridley has garnered just 145 yards. Sunday, the Jags likely will need one of those bigger games from No.0 as the Niners’ defense is among the NFL’s best.

If there was to be a chink in the NIners’ armor, it would be their secondary. The coverage assembly allowed Ja’Marr Chase to gain 100 yards last week and has surrendered 100-yard games to Amari Cooper and Puka Nacua as well. Notably, the Cardinals’ ‘Hollywood’ Brown was just four yards shy with a seven catch, 96-yard performance in Week 4. The Jaguars should look to Calvin Ridley to become the next 100-yard perpetrator against the vaunted San Francisco defense.

OT Anton Harrison

This one is important, maybe the most important. Anton Harrison’s performance Sunday might be make or break for the Jacksonville offense. The Niners outbid the Jaguars at the trade deadline for the rights to Chase Young, one of the NFL’s best young pass rushers. Hopefully that doesn’t come back to haunt them this weekend as Harrison and the offensive line will face both Young and Bosa.

Harrison’s play has improved drastically since his rough ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment against Chris Jones and the Kansas City Chiefs. He even fared well against the Steelers’ phenom TJ Watt. The Jags will need that level of play to persist in order to keep the Niners’ pass-rushing duo off of Lawrence.

DL DaVon Hamilton

While we saw glimpses of DaVon Hamilton against the Pittsburgh Steelers, this is the week I expect Hamilton to look like the player the team knows him to be. The San Francisco offense features Christian McCaffrey, likely the best and most impactful running back in the NFL. He has scored in 14 straight games, amassing 20 touchdowns during that span. Every time he touches the ball, he is a threat to score.

The Jaguars’ run defense is as good as it gets, allowing just 3.6 yards per carry on the season. That is good for fourth best in the NFL. With Hamilton’s return, that statistic should only improve. Hamilton’s impact is also felt as a pass rusher. Last season, Hamilton collected 27 pressures and 2.5 sacks. Hamilton should help to shut down the run game and force the ball into Brock Purdy’s hands.

LB Foyesade Oluokun

Much like the Travis Etienne, Fred Warner showdown, the Christian McCaffrey, Foyesade Oluokun faceoff will also be a spectacle to watch. Oluokun is having a career year and that is saying something as the Jaguars’ star linebacker has the NFL record for tackles in a year, 192 tackles set in 2021. Somehow, this season, he has been even better.

Oluokun has become the undeniable leader of the Jaguars’ defense and has no doubt helped the development of young Devin Lloyd as well. Oluokun has been a huge determinant to the team’s elite run defense and even has improved in pass coverage, snagging a crucial pick-six to defeat the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football. Sunday, he’ll need to play as well as ever in order to beat one of the NFC’s best.