JACKSONVILLE – This task will require patience – with a dash of poise.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars’ offense must show both Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, a team with a well-respected defense in both personnel and approach.
“This scheme has always been really good and tough to play against,” Lawrence said Wednesday as the Jaguars (2-1) prepared to play the 49ers (3-0) at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday.
One reason the 49ers are perennially good defensively: Players such as Fred Warner, a four-time Associated Press All-Pro selection widely considered one of the NFL’s best middle linebackers.
Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen, who coached against Warner and the 49ers as an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018-2020 and in 2022, cited Warner’s length, athletic ability and ability to dissect offenses as strengths.
“We’ve got to make sure we get a hat on him in every possible scenario,” Coen said.
Also key: the 49ers’ defensive scheme. Not only are the 49ers a smart, talented defense, they play with a discipline that Coen said the Jaguars must match throughout.
Coen called Lawrence being patient Sunday “huge,” because the 49ers mostly rush the quarterback with four down linemen and play linebackers and defensive backs in such a way as to prevent frequent big plays.
“That’s basically what the scheme is saying out loud: ‘We are going to play this defense, obviously try to get after you with four — which they’ve been able to do – and say you’re going to get greedy at some point,” Coen said.