The San Francisco 49ers will head to Jacksonville in Week 11 to face the 2-7 Jaguars who are looking for their second-straight home win of the season. Despite their record, Jacksonville has been ascending as of late, turning around their defense that ranked near the bottom of the league through six weeks, to now recording eight sacks and 63 pressures over their last three contests.
Meanwhile offensively, Trevor Lawrence and Co. are looking to turn a corner to complement the defense's recent success. Despite their recent hot streak, the 49ers can't afford to overlook Jacksonville's highs or lows as San Francisco looks to remain relevant in the NFC playoff race.
"We've got to go out there and play our best game to get a win especially in their home," safety Jimmie Ward said. "You can't go out there and think, 'I'm in Florida, it's cool, great weather.' We'll go down there and lay an egg if we go there thinking like that – taking that team lightly. I don't think that's what me or my teammates have on the agenda. We're going to go down there and handle business."
In advance of Sunday's game, here's a list of three Jaguars the 49ers will need to keep eyes on in their business trip to Florida:
RB James Robinson
Robinson has been one of the highlights of Jacksonville's young offense, establishing himself as the Jaguars leading ball carrier. With a league-high 90.5 rushing grade, according to Pro Football Focus, Robinson is coming off an outing against the Indianapolis Colts where he posted 57 yards on 12 rushes and a touchdown for an average of 4.5 yards per carry.
Although Robinson's season with the Jaguars has been halted by a few injuries, including a Week 8 heel injury that led to him having a reduced role in his return against the Colts, he has continued to have an impact on the field. Robinson has garnered a 79.4 grade overall, recording 100 carries for 539 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry (tied for fourth overall).
Robinson landed on this week's injury report with a knee injury, however, has been ruled questionable heading into Sunday's game while being a limited participant in practice this week. Per Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer, the team will continue to monitor the running back and his availability over the weekend.
DE Josh Allen
In what many are calling his breakout season, third-year pass rusher Josh Allen has registered 41 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits through 10 games this season. His performance this season has even earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 9, where he and the Jaguars defense managed to hand the Bills their third loss of the season while scoring a season-low six points. He followed that outing posting three sacks and nine quarterback pressures in Jacksonville's narrow loss to the Colts.
"He's a hell of a player, man, he really is," quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said. "They've got a lot of speed on that defense from sideline to sideline, but just Josh, he's impressive. You saw what he did in the Buffalo game and did it against the Colts too. So, it'll be a challenge for us."
The pass rusher caught the attention of all football fans in Week 9 after intercepting a pass from the league's other Josh Allen, quarterback of the Buffalo Bills.
WR Jamal Agnew
Not only is Jamal Agnew an offensive threat at the wide receiver position with 36 targets that have led to 21 catches for 211 yards and a touchdown this season, but he also poses challenges for San Francisco as a return specialist.
"We've got a huge challenge this week in Jamal Agnew," special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. "He has had eight career touchdowns on special teams. He is a phenomenal returner … He is a good player and we've got our work cut out for us. We're excited about going against him because we want to play the best. And he is definitely one of the best."
In addition to rushing three times for 79 yards and a touchdown, Agnew returned four punts for 30 yards and ran back five kickoffs for 101 yards in the Jaguars competition against the Colts last Sunday.
Coming off of a short week and a trip out east, San Francisco is aiming to build momentum after a standout "Monday Night Football" victory. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. PT at TIAA Bank Field. For ways to watch Sunday's tilt, click here.
