JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton and team reporter Kainani Stevens offer quick thoughts on the Jaguars as they prepare to play the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday.

John Oehser, Jaguars Senior Writer…

Benchmark. The 2025 Jaguars enter Sunday a dramatically different team than the 2024 version, and they look very much like a team with a solid foundation and strong approach for long-term success. A game such as Sunday’s – against a strong, tradition-rich franchise in a difficult venue – is unquestionably a huge opportunity for a team learning how to win and overcome adversity under first-year Head Coach Liam Coen. Note that we didn’t call Sunday a “must-win” for the Jaguars. It’s not that. But the Jaguars on Sunday will play a consistent team that is unbeaten this season – a franchise that knows how to overcome injuries and difficult circumstances. They will play that team on the road, never having won on the road against the 49ers. The Jaguars won’t be favored and must play their best game of the season to win. The reason it’s not a “must-win” is they still will be very much in contention for the postseason and the AFC South title if they lose. But the reason it’s a huge opportunity is a victory will show the league and Jaguars fans – and perhaps even the Jaguars themselves – that they are very much for real this season, and perhaps further ahead in their progress a month into this regime than many believed possible.
Keep trusting, keep feeding. The Jaguars’ receiving corps hasn’t been as productive or reliable as expected this season, with Brian Thomas Jr. going through well-documented drop issues and rookie Travis Hunter not yet having the eye-catching offensive statistics to match his high level at cornerback. Still, this position group remains a potential strength, with the focus now continuing to trust Thomas and continuing to work Hunter more extensively in the offense. Thomas this past Sunday overcame two drops – and a missed opportunity on a long pass down the sideline – to turn in the game’s key play on a 46-yard fourth-quarter reception that set up the game-winning touchdown. Hunter early in the third quarter turned a short pass into a 21-yard first down with the athleticism that made him the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jaguars’ offense has shown in three weeks it can run consistently. The next task is to increase explosive plays, with trusting Thomas and increasing Hunter’s opportunities perhaps the key to doing so.