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Jaguars vs. 49ers: 3 big challenges San Francisco will face in Week 16

By Peter Panacy

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 27: #32 Kendall Hunter of the San Francisco 49ers is tackled by #23 Alan Ball of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the NFL International Series game between San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on October 27, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 27: #32 Kendall Hunter of the San Francisco 49ers is tackled by #23 Alan Ball of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the NFL International Series game between San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on October 27, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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JACKSONVILLE, FL – NOVEMBER 05: Yannick Ngakoue #91 and Calais Campbell #93 of the Jacksonville Jaguars put pressure on Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half of their game at EverBank Field on November 5, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL – NOVEMBER 05: Yannick Ngakoue #91 and Calais Campbell #93 of the Jacksonville Jaguars put pressure on Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half of their game at EverBank Field on November 5, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images) /

No. 3: The Jaguars Pass Rush

All those investments along the Jaguars defensive line have paid off nicely, and this group now leads one of the most prolific pass rushes in the NFL right now.

To date, Jacksonville ranks tops in the league with 51 sacks. But that doesn’t even tell the whole story. Just ask Pro Football Focus’ Jeff Deeney:

These numbers aren’t unlike the 2012-13 49ers, who didn’t need to blitz to create pressure. They could rely on a four-man rush, and it was plenty effective.

The same applies for the Jaguars in 2017. Defenders like Calais Campbell (14.5 sacks), Yannick Ngakoue (11.5 sacks) and Malik Jackson (8.0 sacks) are all prolific pass-rushers in their own right.

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Meanwhile, San Francisco’s offensive line ranks 19th in pass protection, according to Football Outsiders, and its 78.5 pass-blocking efficiency rating, per PFF, is 17th in the league.

This is a mismatch. A big one.

Maybe the 49ers adjust for this by going with quick slants and screens, cutting down the amount of time Jaguars pass-rushers have to get within the pocket. Either way, head coach Kyle Shanahan has his scheme-work cut out for him.

Next: Niner Noise's Week 16 NFL power rankings

The 49ers and Jaguars kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium.