49ers: Live Week 16 thread versus the Jaguars

The biggest challenge in Jimmy Garoppolo’s short career awaits him as the San Francisco 49ers take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. Niner Noise has all your updates from the game, as well as analysis and your comment thread.

Ever since being named the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo has been the subject of much debate. With a three-game winning streak, the Bay Area is nearing a frenzy mode.

Just a month ago, the season was lost for San Francisco with the future only offering glimmers of hope. Now with a franchise player at the most important position seemingly acquired for pennies on the dollar, the direction of the organization has shifted.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in town next, a franchise that has revitalized itself after lurking in the depths of the NFL for quite some time. They sit at 10-4 on the season and are aiming for a top spot in the AFC playoffs.

As always, Niner Noise has your in-game thread with scoring updates and a comment thread you can participate in at the bottom of the article.

Follow along with us, as the 49ers try to extend their winning streak to four games and move to 5-10.

First Quarter

San Francisco received the ball to open the game.

What a methodical drive for Garoppolo and the 49ers, with the quarterback capping it off with an one-yard touchdown run. Garoppolo was 5-6 for 75 yards; wide receiver Marquise Goodwin was also key there, finishing with two receptions for 33 yards.

The score put San Francisco up 7-0, and snapped an 11-game streak in which the 49ers failed to register a touchdown in the first quarter.

On the ensuing drive, running back Leonard Fournette was stuffed on 1st down. Bortles was unable to do anything himself, and the Jaguars were forced into a three-and-out.

Garoppolo and the offense were moving, but a patted pass on 3rd and 4 killed the drive. Kicker Robbie Gould’s 27-yard field goal was good to increase San Francisco’s lead to 10-0 at the 5:42 mark in the first quarter.

Back-to-back impressive stints from the 49ers’ defense, as they stymied Bortles on third down and the Jaguars had to punt again. Safety Adrian Colbert had an interception in his hands, but dropped the ball before he could fully gain possession.

Second Quarter

For the first time today, punter Bradley Pinion had to come on the field after running back Carlos Hyde was stonewalled on 3rd and 1 on San Francisco’s subsequent drive.

But Jacksonville was unable to captalize and instead made a mistake themselves when Bortles was intercepted by Dontae Johnson, who returned it for a touchdown. Gould’s extra-point attempt was blocked though, and the Jaguars took it back for a safety.

A whacky turn of events has the 49ers with the 16-2 lead at the 11:03 mark in the second quarter.

Jacksonville finally got on the board with Fournette’s one-yard touchdown run, finishing off an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive. San Francisco’s lead was cut to 16-9 with 5:10 left in the first half.

And the exact opposite of what the 49ers wanted to happen before halftime, happened. Garoppolo had San Francisco in the red zone, but his arm was hit while throwing and the bobbled pass was intercepted. Instead of walking away with points, the 49ers left empty-handed.

The Jaguars were able to capitalize this time, and ended the half with a perfect sequence. They picked off Garoppolo, and then marched down for a touchdown. Bortles’ pass to Fournette bounced off the running back’s hands right into Jalen Strong’s mittens.

At halftime, it was tied 16-16.

Third Quarter

Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner was the savior on the opening possession of the second half, as he bats down Bortles’ pass on third down. The Jaguars offense had been rolling, but was forced to settle for the field goal.

For the first time this game, Jacksonville had a lead, 19-16.

The momentum was beginning to shift, as Garoppolo and the 49ers went three-and-out for their first drive of the second half. Garoppolo was sacked on third down.

Just like that, San Francisco seized back some of the stolen momentum. Defensive back K’Waun Williams intercepted Bortles on 3rd and 7, and brought the ball into Jacksonville territory.

Red zone scoring has been an issue for Garoppolo, but not on that drive. After the Williams’ interception, Garoppolo found tight end George Kittle for an eight-yard touchdown. The 49ers took back the lead, 23-19.

Building on the turnover from the previous drive, the San Francisco defense forced a punt from the Jaguars. At the end of three quarters, the 49ers were up 23-19.

Fourth Quarter

To open up the final frame of play, Garoppolo did so in fine fashion. For the second consecutive time, the drive ended with a passing score.

Garoppolo hit wide receiver Trent Taylor for a five-yard touchdown to extend San Francisco’s lead to 30-19. For the game, Garoppolo is currently is 21-29 for 242 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

The game just keeps on shifting toward the 49ers — defensive back Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted Bortles on the next drive. It is Bortles third interception of the game.

Hyde made sure not to fluff up the prime field position, as he ran it in for a six-yard touchdown to put San Francisco up 37-19.

After exchanging a pair of punts with the 49ers, the Jaguars were able to find the end zone on running back T.J. Yeldon’s one-yard touchdown run. Jacksonville was successful on the two-point conversion, and San Francisco’s lead is cut to 37-27.

The onside kick was successful as well, and the Jaguars have the chance to make it a three-point game quickly. Only 2:13 was left on the clock.

Twenty-three seconds was all Bortles needed, as he hit tight end James O’Shaughnessy for the 11-yard touchdown reception. Jacksonville failed on the onside attempt.

On the next drive, an unsportsmanlike penalty on defensive lineman Malik Jackson gave the 49ers a free first down, and running back Matt Breida put the finishing touches on the game with his 30-yard touchdown run to put San Francisco up 44-33.

The lowly 49ers are now riding a four-game winning streak.

• Garoppolo: 21-30, 242 yards, two touchdowns, one interception; three carries, one touchdown.
• Breida: 11 carries, 74 yards, one touchdown.
• Kittle: three receptions, 42 yards, one touchdown.
• Juszczyk: five receptions, 76 yards.

Next: Predicting the contract for 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo

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