Jaguars vs. 49ers: 5 matchups to watch for San Francisco in Week 16
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Wide Receiver Trent Taylor vs. Cornerback Aaron Colvin
Unlike their efforts against the running game, the Jaguars are playing at an elite level against the pass.
While Kyle Shanahan will be expected to run the ball frequently, there will be more than a few situations where passing is inevitable. It just won’t have much luck on the outside, as starting Jacksonville cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye are graded out by Pro Football Focus at 93.2 and 90.8, respectively.
That’s elite, which means you probably won’t see big numbers from No. 1 cornerback Marquise Goodwin Sunday.
But there could be opportunities for slot receiver Trent Taylor.
Taylor will frequently line up opposite Jaguars nickel corner Aaron Colvin, whose PFF grade on the season (78.8) is notably lower than both Ramsey and Bouye.
Opposing quarterbacks are posting an 89.4 passer rating when targeting Colvin, which isn’t great, but it’s a much better look for Jimmy Garoppolo than making a habit of targeting either Ramsey or Bouye.
If Taylor can find some holes in the middle of the field, which conveniently is Garoppolo’s strength, the Niners may be able to engineer some kind of passing success.
That is if Garoppolo stays protected.