49ers 34, Jaguars 3: Game Balls

Who earned a game ball in the worst loss of the Jaguars' season?

The Jacksonville Jaguars had high hopes entering week ten, and for good reason; entering their matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, the Jaguars boasted the league’s longest active winning streak with five consecutive victories. Those hopes were thoroughly dashed by San Francisco, who bested the Jaguars 34-3.

There are few positives to draw from such a resounding defeat. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence played arguably the worst game of his young and otherwise promising career, while the 49ers potent rushing attack gashed a usually stingy Jacksonville defense for 144 yards; the most rushing yards allowed by the Jags since their divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in January.

The 49ers gained nearly 450 yards of total offense. They had only gained 156 at halftime; a monumental collapse that began the second the third quarter kicked off.

Turnovers plagued the Jaguars on a day where they needed to play at their very best; Lawrence accounted for two interceptions and a fumble while wideout Christian Kirk lost his second fumble of the season. With a lack of ball security naturally comes a lack of offensive production, and the Jaguars offense was putrid on Sunday.

The team’s first four drives of the game gained just 23 yards, while a 14-play, 80-yard drive that spanned nearly eight minutes of the second quarter only netted them three points. The second half was no different; the Jaguars turned the ball over three straight times to open the half and failed to score for the remainder of the contest.

Defensively the Jaguars fared no better, allowing a score on six of San Francisco’s 10 possessions. Excluding the three-straight kneels that comprised their final drive, nearly 60% of San Francisco’s drives ended in points for the bad guys–four of them resulted in six for the visitors.

Although the team was thoroughly humbled, multiple Jaguars still had strong performances that at the very least kept things interesting. It is paramount after a loss like this one that I again emphasize the assignment of every week’s game balls are in no way meant to criticize another player’s performance.

With that, let’s take a look at the Jaguars who gave it their all on Sunday.

Offense: WR Christian Kirk

Yes, Kirk’s fumble on the San Francisco six-yard line was extremely untimely. Yes, it likely cost the team a touchdown.

However, without Kirk’s contributions throughout the game–and a 39-yard catch on the very same ill-fated drive that featured his most significant mistake–this one could’ve been much uglier.

On an individual level, Kirk was nearly-perfect on Sunday, securing six catches for 104 yards; his second 100-yard effort of the season, and his fifth as a Jaguar. Sunday marked both the ninth time Kirk had faced the 49ers in his six seasons in the NFL, and his most productive outing against his former division rival.

Kirk paced all Jaguars pass-catchers in receiving yards by nearly 80 yards, and was quickly identified by Lawrence as his most reliable option. On the team’s final drive of the first half Kirk caught three of his four targets for 37 yards, which proved invaluable in helping Jacksonville score their only points of the game.

On the season Kirk has outgained fellow wideout Calvin Ridley, whom many presumed would be the team’s most productive wideout, by nearly 150 yards. After a strong showing against the Jacksonville Jaguars’ toughest opponent yet, Kirk has more than proven his reliability.

Defense: LB Foyesade Oluokun

For a unit that allowed well over 400 yards on the day, one might imagine it would be nearly impossible to find a ‘top performer.’ After a game like Sunday’s, none would blame you for identifying the defense as one of the main contributors to the Jaguars’ fourth loss of the season.

Just make sure you don’t include linebacker Foyesade Oluokun in that assessment.

Against the 49ers Oluokun was his usual self, flying around and making big plays from the opening drive. The former Atlanta Falcon tallied nine total tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks; his first two of the season and the first multi-sack game of his career.

Oluokun was a force on and around the line of scrimmage, helping limit big plays and keeping the 49ers offense honest. The final result will likely be one the six-year veteran will try to forget, but his herculean effort was the only thing preventing the Niners from putting up 40… if not 50.

Following the 49ers opening-drive touchdown, the Jaguars defense found themselves needing to stop quarterback Brock Purdy and the surging Niners offense from their own 13-yard line. On 3rd and four, Oluokun got home and brought down Purdy for an eight-yard loss.

The 49ers were forced to kick a field goal, extending their lead to 10 late in the first quarter. With the game within striking distance, Oluokun found ways to make plays and give his team a chance.

For that, one of the Jaguars' finest defenders earns himself his third game ball in four contests and his fifth of the season.

Special Teams: K Brandon McManus

This one almost felt like cheating, seeing as kicker Brandon McManus notched the team’s only three points of the contest. However when you are the only member of a 53-man roster to score on any given day, let alone gameday, you definitely earn yourself a game ball.

While off the historic pace McManus had set through the first half of the season, he made his presence felt against the 49ers. After the Jags' best drive of the day stalled out at the San Francisco 19, McManus was called upon to clean up the mess.

Nailing his only kick of the day from 37 yards out, McManus kept the Jaguars comeback bid alive through halftime. Despite not attempting another kick, McManus made the very most of his extremely limited opportunities.

Through nine games, McManus has been one of the league’s most efficient kickers; he’s currently making 90% of his field goal tries, and has yet to miss an extra point. With just one field goal against the Niners, he’s also kept his streak of at least one made field goal alive for another week.

The last time he failed to knock one through the uprights was December 2022. As the team’s lone offensive contributor on Sunday, he should have his sights set on much loftier goals than an admittedly impressive scoring streak.