JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Who are the real 49ers?
Are they the team that dominated the first five opponents of the 2023 NFL season and rose to the top of everyone’s power rankings?
Or are they a team entering their bye week with a lot of questions?
The 49ers certainly looked better Sunday in a 34-3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Everbank Stadium. The win ended the 49ers’ three-game losing streak and ended the Jaguars’ winning streak at five.
“We had three games that weren’t like us,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said. “We had to get back to playing 49er football, especially defensively.
“We had to take pride in what we were putting on tape, and I feel like we did that today.”
And this will be evident in Week 10’s impressive winning performance.
rush attack
The 49ers attempted 30 runs and averaged 4.8 yards per carry despite backup quarterback Sam Darnold taking a knee three times to stop the game.
Christian McCaffrey had 95 yards rushing on 16 carries, and Deebo Samuel added 29 yards and a touchdown on three rushing attempts.
The return of left tackle Trent Williams certainly helped, and Jon Feliciano stepped in and played well in place of injured left guard Aaron Banks.
The only thing that didn’t go as planned was McCaffrey being pinned outside the end zone, ending his 17-game touchdown streak.
Grade: A-minus
passing offense
Quarterback Brock Purdy found a solution to the fourth-quarter turnovers that plagued the 49ers during their three-game losing streak. He played so well throughout the third quarter that he only attempted one pass in the fourth quarter. And it was a 22-yard touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who retired to the sideline for the remainder of the rout.
Purdy completed 19 of 26 pass attempts for 296 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 148.9. He currently leads the NFL with a season passer rating of 109.9.
Tight end George Kittle had three catches for 116 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown in the first minute of the second half. Brandon Aiyuk scored a 13-yard touchdown to cap off the first drive of the game.
Class A
rush defense
The 49ers have stepped up their run defense, allowing 3.5 yards per rushing attempt on the day.
Travis Etienne, the Jaguars’ leading rusher, gained just 35 yards on nine rushing attempts. He is typically a high-volume rusher, but the Jaguars struggled to advance their ground game and extend drives.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who has been on a roll in recent weeks, continued his good form with a team-high eight tackles, including one from behind the line of scrimmage. Nick Bosa, Clelin Ferrell and Javon Hargrave each also had tackles for loss.
Grade: A-minus
pass defense
The 49ers created four turnovers. That is, they were actually scoring more takeaways than points allowed.
Bosa also had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Ambry Thomas also forced a fumble and came up with a recovery after Christian Kirk caught a short finish.
Talanoa Hufanga and Fred Warner intercepted Trevor Lawrence, who had a hard time stopping the 49ers defense.
Bosa and Hargrave each recorded 1.5 sacks and led a pass rush that produced five sacks. Chase Young, making his 49ers debut, had a half-sack.
Class A
special teams
Rookie kicker Jake Moody made field goals of 39 and 35 yards, the latter going just inside the right upright on the final play of the first half. He also did well on six kickoffs, as the Jaguars’ average starting point was at the 24-yard line.
Punter Mitch Wisznowski wasn’t asked for much, but he had another big day, averaging 42.0 net yards on three punts, including a 56-yard drop at the 1-yard line.
Grade: A-minus
coaching
On Sunday, the 49ers’ game plan on both sides of the ball gave a number of individuals the opportunity to make plays. And many of those players made the most of their opportunities.
The biggest tip goes to defensive coordinator Steve Wilkes, who dialed it up from the sideline. The 49ers did a good job of combining the pass rush with coverage on the back end.
Offensively, the 49ers looked comfortable at times with Purdy hitting open receivers, but the running game of McCaffrey and Samuel turned things around.
The only reason we can downgrade the coaching is that coach Kyle Shanahan was one of the people who was on the field during Thomas’ fumble return, resulting in an athlete who nullified his touchdown return. A penalty was imposed for an act contrary to the ship.
Grade: A-minus
whole
This performance was nearly identical to what the 49ers produced in the first five games of the season.
After losing three straight, the 49ers returned to their old ways after the bye week.
“We were playing complementary football,” Shanahan said. “It took a little bit of time because we went back and forth, but I thought if we both played well, that’s when we got the score.”
Class A
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