Jaguars vs. 49ers: 5 matchups to watch for San Francisco in Week 16

With the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16, Niner Noise takes a look at five matchups you’ll want to watch during the Niners’ final 2017 home game at Levi’s Stadium.

The San Francisco 49ers play their final home game of 2017, hosting the 10-4 Jacksonville Jaguars who are on the cusp of the postseason.

Riding a three-game winning streak, Week 16 will undoubtedly mark the biggest challenge the Niners have faced since quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo took over starting duties. While beating the Tennessee Titans 25-23 a week ago was pretty impressive, a top-ranked Jaguars defense provides an entirely new challenge altogether.

And Jacksonville is clicking enough on offense too.

The 49ers can still play the spoiler role, though, and impact the Jags’ playoff push to a certain extent. San Francisco should embrace this role, and it will fall upon critical one-on-one matchups throughout the contest.

In this slideshow, Niner Noise will break down five specific matchups you’ll want to watch during this game.

Each one will have its own unique impact on the game itself. If the Niners can manage to win a few, or all, of these matchups, there’s a good chance we see an upset on Sunday.

Let’s start off with what San Francisco’s defense needs to do.