The big question heading into today’s game for the San Francisco 49ers against the Jacksonville Jaguars wasn’t on the offensive side of the ball after reports that wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings would play today. Mac Jones is also available, but he won’t be needed as Brock Purdy returns to the lineup.
The question was whether cornerback Renardo Green, who is dealing with a neck injury, would play. He will not. The Jaguars’ offense has been inconsistent, but they haven’t been bad.
Their numbers would look a lot better if they could catch the ball. Protecting Trevor Lawrence hasn’t been an issue. It’s a matter of Lawrence’s accuracy and whether his receivers catch the ball.
Life is a lot easier for offenses when the defense is without its top cornerback. Deommodore Lenoir is the highest-paid team cornerback on the team, but Green plays the CB1 role. Without Green, Darrell Luter likely gets the nod. Luter is plenty athletic to hold his own, but he’s inexperienced. We’ll see if Saleh asks more of Lenoir than he has through three games, or dials back some of his coverages that call for a cornerback to be isolated.
Here’s a look at the 49ers’ inactive list:
CB Renardo Green (neck)
DL CJ West (hand)
WR Jordan Watkins (calf)
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
RB Jordan James
LB Nick Martin
Valdes-Scantling’s snap count was at its lowest last week, and with Demarcus Robinson back as well as Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall in the lineup, there was little need for a wide receiver who doesn’t contribute on special teams.
Jordan Jefferson will make his debut at defensive tackle with CJ West inactive. West played 14 snaps last week, which was a season high. Saleh used West on 11 pass rush snaps, which may surprise some. However, Jefferson was known in Jacksonville as a run defender.
Here are the inactives for the Jaguars:
5 WR Dyami Brown
32 RB Cody Schrader
64 OL Wyatt Milum
96 DT Khalen Saunders Sr.
92 DL Danny Striggow
56 LB Yasir Abdullah
20 S Kahlef Hailassie
Brown being out takes away a deep threat, and means the secondary can focus on Brian Thomas and Travis Hunter. Parker Washington is more of an underneath threat.
