Jaguars vs. 49ers: 5 matchups to watch for San Francisco in Week 16
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: EDGE Elvis Dumervil vs. Left Tackle Cam Robinson
The Jaguars are somewhat reminiscent of the 2011 49ers — a stout defense paired with a strong running game.
San Francisco 49ers
But generating a pass rush will be crucial to San Francisco’s efforts, even if Jacksonville is a run-first offense. And you should look at the far left of the Jaguars offensive line for the opportunity.
Left tackle Cam Robinson is, perhaps, the weakest link along the Jaguars O-line, registering a unit-low Pro Football Focus grade of 38.1. Per PFF, he’s allowed 41 total pressures on the season, which is eighth most among all eligible tackles through 15 weeks.
Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles doesn’t take a lot of sacks — only 21 this season so far — but he does have a 72.9 passer rating when facing pressure.
Unfortunately, the Niners have little by the way of an edge rush. Veteran EDGE Elvis Dumervil leads the team’s defense with 5.5 sacks, and he’ll be under a lot of pressure to add to that total in Week 16.
If Dumervil can get home once, and create pressure on multiple occasions, San Francisco’s defense should be able to hold its own.
Unless Jacksonville’s running game takes over.
Speaking of that…