SAN FRANCISCO (5-3) at JACKSONVILLE (6-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox
OPENING LINE: 49ers by 2 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: San Francisco 4-4; Jacksonville 6-2.
SERIES RECORD: 49ers lead 4-2.
LAST MEETING: 49ers beat Jaguars 30-10 on Nov. 21, 2021, in Jacksonville.
LAST WEEK: 49ers were on bye; Jaguars were on bye.
49ERS: OVERALL (4), RUSH (5), PASS (8), SCORING (4).
49ERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (5), PASS (19), SCORING (4).
JAGUARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (14), RUSH (14), PASS (14), SCORING (10).
JAGUARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (23), RUSH (3), PASS (30), SCORING (8).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: 49ers plus-4; Jaguars plus-5.
49ERS PLAYER TO WATCH: DE Chase Young. San Francisco’s trade deadline acquisition is set to make his debut for the team. Young is being counted on to provide a strong pass rush opposite his former Ohio State teammate Nick Bosa. Young had five sacks in seven games for Washington before getting traded last week for a compensatory third-round draft pick in 2024.
JAGUARS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Travis Etienne has seven touchdowns in Jacksonville’s past four games. He set a franchise record by scoring two TDs in three consecutive games, but only managed one last time out against Pittsburgh. He is second in the NFL with 178 touches.
KEY MATCHUP: Jacksonville’s stout run defense versus star RB Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey tied Lenny Moore’s NFL record during San Francisco’s most recent game by scoring a touchdown in his 17th consecutive game, including the playoffs. His 14 straight games with a TD catch or run are one shy of Marshall Faulk’s NFL record. The Jaguars rank third in the NFL against the run, allowing 79.3 yards a game.
KEY INJURIES: Niners LT Trent Williams (ankle) missed the past two games, and his status remains in doubt this week. LG Aaron Banks will miss the game with turf toe. WR Deebo Samuel will return after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury. … The Jaguars expect to get CB Tyson Campbell (hamstring), S Andre Cisco (hamstring) and LG Walker Little (knee) back after missing time. WR Zay Jones, who has missed five of the past six games with a lingering right knee issue, could be out another week or longer.
SERIES NOTES: The Niners have won four in a row in the series after dropping the first two meetings. They outscored the Jaguars 136-56 during the four-game win streak.
STATS AND STUFF: The 49ers became the fifth team in NFL history to start the season 5-0 and then lose the next three games. ... San Francisco scored just 17 points in each game during the three-game skid, marking the first time since 2017 they failed to score more than 17 points in three straight games. ... The Niners haven’t been held to 17 points or fewer in four straight games since 2015. ... The 49ers are 3-3 following bye weeks under coach Kyle Shanahan. ... Niners TE George Kittle needs 57 yards receiving to become the fourth tight end with at least 500 yards receiving in each of his first seven seasons. ... Bosa leads the NFL with 19 QB hits. ... San Francisco hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 35 straight games. ... The Niners had a plus-8 turnover margin in the first six games and minus-4 the past two games. ... San Francisco QB Brock Purdy has thrown five INTs in the past three games after having none in the first five. ... The Niners are fourth in the NFL converting 46.4% on third downs. ... San Francisco has allowed 15 plays of at least 20 yards during the past three games after giving up just 10 in the first five games. … The Jaguars are off to their best start since 1999. … They went 5-0 in October a year after going 0-5 in the same month. … Jacksonville’s five-game winning streak came in five different venues: Wembley Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur, EverBank Stadium, Caesars Superdome and Acrisure Stadium. … Jaguars PK Brandon McManus was the AFC special teams player of the month for October. McManus made all 12 of his field-goal attempts, including four from beyond 50 yards, and all 12 of his extra points. … Jaguars coach Doug Pederson is 2-0 against San Francisco.
FANTASY TIP: McCaffrey is the only lock in this game, where points could be hard to muster. Kittle and WR Brandon Aiyuk are worth considering for the Niners along with Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, Etienne and WRs Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley.
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