Jaguars’ Week Ten: The New Look 49ers

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the halfway point, and their bye week, at an impressive 6-2. It’s hard to imagine many fans are too disappointed in the Jaguars record through eight weeks of play, where the Jaguars find themselves at the top of AFC.

The Jaguars’ week ten opponent, despite starting 5-3, are feeling much worse about their record. The 49ers were expected to be amongst the NFC’s elite, and after a couple of disappointing losses, the 49ers come into week ten desperate for a win.

After a couple of disappointing losses, the 49ers enter the Jaguars matchup with a revamped lineup. Deebo Samuel returns, bolstering the offense drastically, and Trent Williams is a hopeful return that would drastically improve the 49ers offensive line. On the defensive side, the 49ers made the biggest splash at the trade deadline by acquiring Chase Young.

A new look San Francisco 49ers, with returning players and major acquisitions, look to get their season back on track in hopes of finding their way to the NFC West division and potentially the one seed in the NFC. While the Jacksonville Jaguars are poised to make another playoff run, and proving their status amongst the NFL’s elite with a win over the 49ers would do just that.

The 49ers at the Jaguars is the matchup of the week in the NFL, and there’s a lot to look forward to. Between the fantastic matchups, and the impactful players returning from injury, there’s a lot to be excited about in the Jaguars’ week ten matchup against the 49ers.

Jaguars’ Week Ten 3 Key Matchups to Watch

Jaguars Offensive Line vs. 49ers Defensive Line

The Jaguars’ offensive line has an incredibly challenging task in their first game coming out of the bye. The list of defensive linemen that Cam Robinson, Walker Little, Luke Fortner, Brandon Scherff, and Anton Harrison will have to face off against is an extensive one. The Jaguars’ week ten matchup for these offensive linemen is no joke.

In the NFL, there aren’t many defensive lines better than the 49ers in 2023. A group that consists of some of the best pass rushers in the NFL just got stronger after the trade deadline. The 49ers added Chase Young from the Washington Commanders to their already stellar defensive line. New acquisition Chase Young was also a trade deadline possibility for the Jaguars, as the Jaguars had interest in Young.

Along the defensive line are 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, Randy Gregory, and Clelin Ferrell. Any defensive line with Nick Bosa alone would be challenging, but with Chase Young added to the mix along with Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead up the middle, offensive lines will have a tough time against the 49ers.

For the Jaguars’ week ten matchup, there is an emphasis on the ability of the offensive line to subdue this defensive front as much as they can. It’s been one of the issues on the Jaguars team in 2023, with the offensive line constantly changing due to injuries and suspensions. Now, thanks to the bye week the Jaguars offensive line is healthy.

Cam Robinson at left tackle; Walker Little at left guard; Luke Fortner at center; Brandon Scherff at right guard; Anton Harrison at right tackle. The best the offensive line will have looked in 2023, and this lineup will be imperative to the Jaguars’ success against a Super Bowl contender.

One of the biggest x-factors for the Jaguars along the offensive line will be Anton Harrison. Any rookie facing a tough matchup will be a tough thing to rely on. Harrison will be tested in a major way, as he’ll have to deal with Nick Bosa and Chase Young. Whether it’s Young or Bosa, Anton Harrison will have his hands full in what will be his toughest challenge all season in the Jaguars’ week ten matchup.

If Harrison can hold his own, even if he does receive help in protecting Trevor Lawrence, it’ll be a huge boost to the offense. The rookie still has to prove he can be an elite offensive tackle, but he’s begun to show signs of being the long-term solution at right tackle for the Jaguars. It’ll be a challenging matchup, but Anton Harrison and the rest of the offensive line are up for the challenge.

Christian McCaffrey vs. Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd

If there was one player on the Jaguars that is severely underrated, it would be Foyesade Oluokun. He’s lately been getting more national attention, but he’s still going under the radar. The Jaguars’ week ten matchup will be one of the biggest stages for Foyesade Oluokun to make an impact. One of the reasons why is due to the 49ers capturing a lot of the NFL market, and that he’s going to be tasked with stopping Christian McCaffery.

Christian McCaffrey is arguably the best running back in the NFL, and he’s capable of taking over a game on the ground or through the air as a receiver. It’ll be up to the linebackers, especially Foyesade Oluokun, to limit the production of Christian McCaffrey.

In the Jaguars’ week ten matchup, there might be no more interesting matchup than Foyesade Oluokun against Christian McCaffrey. One player is known to be the best at his position, while another is criminally underrated. Foyesade Oluokun has a chance to prove that he’s one of the best linebackers in the NFL to fans and media outside of the Jaguars fanbase.

While it won’t completely fall on Oluokun’s shoulders to stop McCaffrey, this matchup will deserve your attention whenever their paths cross on Sunday, which they are fully expected to plenty of times.

Jaguars Defensive Backs vs. 49ers Receivers

Jaguars corners have had a lot of challenging wide receiver rooms that they’ve faced against. This week against the 49ers might be their toughest challenge yet.

Deebo Samuel is returning from injury, creating one of the better wide receiver duos in the NFL with Brandon Aiyuk. Both are different molds of a receiver, which further adds to the challenge of defending the 49ers wide receivers. But, there’s more than just these two dynamic receivers. George Kittle is the true X-Factor for the San Francisco 49ers.

Kittle is already one of the most dynamic tight ends in the NFL, and having his skillset paired with Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel is an incredibly challenging matchup for the Jaguars defenders.

The Jaguars’ week ten matchup featuring one of the most underrated cornerback rooms against one of the most talked about receiving rooms is the best matchup of the day and maybe even the season. A huge factor in this matchup is the health of both sides, with the Jaguars and 49ers dealing with their injuries.

For the 49ers, Deebo Samuel is returning for the first time in a few weeks. The Jaguars are hoping that safety Andre Cisco and cornerback Tyson Campbell can return for a pivotal matchup. Leading up to the Jaguars’ week ten matchup, there is a lot of attention on whether Cisco and Campbell can return for a challenging matchup against the 49ers.

Darious Williams, Tre Herndon, and Rayshawn Jenkins are all capable of holding this 49er receiving corps to limited production in the Jaguars’ week ten matchup. But, having their two young stars back could be the difference between a win or loss.

Injury Reports

Jaguars’ Week Ten Injury Report

• (LB) Yasir Abdullah (Illness) – No Designation
• (CB) Tyson Campbell (Hamstring) – Questionable
• (FS) Andre Cisco (Hamstring) – Questionable
• (OG) Ezra Cleveland (Toe) – Questionable
• (WR) Zay Jones (Knee) – OUT
• (CB) Gregory Junior (Hamstring) – No Designation
• (S) Daniel Thomas (Hamstring) – Questionable

With the Jaguars’ week ten matchup coming after the bye, there was hope that Zay Jones would be able to return. But, despite practicing in a limited capacity, in Zay Jones will be forced to miss the Jaguars’ week ten matchup against the 49ers.

Tyson Campbell and Andre Cisco are the two main injury storylines to watch as the pregame tests and warmups go, as both are integral to the defense, especially against a challenging receiving corps.

While Ezra Cleveland is questionable, the recent trade acquisition isn’t expected to be the starter, but rather high-quality depth for an offensive line that’s been dealing with injuries in 2023.

Overall, the Jaguars have been getting healthier. The bye week has allowed the offensive line to get back to full health. If Cisco and Campbell can return, the Jaguars will be at nearly full strength.

49ers Week Ten Injury Report

• (OG) Aaron Banks (Toe) – OUT
• (WR) Ray-Ray McCloud (Illness) – No Designation
• (OT) Trent Williams (Ankle) – Questionable
• (DE) Drake Jackson (Knee) – OUT
• (RE) Robert Beal Jr. (Hamstring) – Questionable
• (LB) Dre Greenlaw (Shoulder) – No Designation
• (CB) Darrell Luter Jr. (Knee) – Questionable
• (WR) Deebo Samuel (Shoulder) – No Designation
• (CB) Samuel Womack (Knee) – Questionable
• (LB) Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (Ankle) – Questionable
• (NT) Javon Hargrave (Knee) – Questionable

Trent Williams is the biggest concern for the 49ers, and it isn’t particularly close. If the 49ers were to be without Williams, a backup offensive tackle would have the assignment of trying to block Josh Allen. In the Jaguars’ week ten matchup, if Williams is out, Josh Allen will feast on the backup lineman.

Deebo is returning from injury, which further complicates defending the 49ers’ stellar arsenal of weapons. While Javon Hargrave is questionable, he’s still expected to play.

Overall, while there are a couple of injuries to monitor, nothing stands out as much as the ankle injury lingering for Trent Williams. He didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice, which wasn’t much of a surprise. But, he’s been practicing limitedly on Thursday and Friday. The question mark for Williams coming into the Jaguars’ week ten matchup will be one to pay extremely close attention to leading up to kickoff.

Jaguars’ Week Ten Prediction

It’s one of the toughest games on the Jaguars’ schedule, and the Jaguars’ week ten matchup features a lot of challenging players to account for on both sides of the ball. But, the Jaguars are more than prepared to go against a tough offense and defense.

In the game of the week for week ten in the NFL, the Jaguars have a chance to cement themselves as a top Super Bowl Contender with a win. Looking back at my preseason predictions for the Jaguars, I had them entering week ten at 6-2, and losing to the 49ers to fall to 6-3.

That’s no longer the feeling for the Jaguars’ week ten game. After seeing this Jaguars team compete the last two months, there’s one apparent thing: the Jaguars are for real. Many write the Jaguars off because they’re the Jaguars. A team that is most known for drafting at the beginning of each round every year. But, this team is different. Trevor Lawrence, Josh Allen, Travis Etienne Jr., and Darious Williams have elevated this team to elite levels.

I predict the Jaguars defend their home field, and beat the 49ers, sending the NFL world into a frenzy for two different reasons. One is the 49ers losing four straight, the other, more important storyline is the Jaguars are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

I predict the Jaguars’ week ten matchup ends with a Jaguars victory over the 49ers, moving to 7-2.