49ers look like contenders again in 34-3 blowout win over Jaguars

It seems like a bye week did a world of good for the San Francisco 49ers, who after a week of rest snapped a three-game losing streak to walk all over the Jaguars in a 34-3 win at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville on Sunday.

The 49ers were led by a resurgent defense that totaled five sacks and four takeaways after giving up at least 400 yards in losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals in Weeks 7 and 8. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-26 passing during the game, with tight end George Kittle catching three of those passes for 116 yards and one touchdown. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished 17-of-29 for 185 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss.

First Half

The 49ers got off to an ideal start to the game, holding the Jaguars to a three-and-out on the opening possession before putting together a four-play, 57-yard drive that led to a 13-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Purdy was three-for-three for 51 yards on the drive, with the final pass being a bit of a risky one that saw Purdy roll far to his left before throwing back to the right to Aiyuk in the end zone. The point after from kicker Jake Moody put the 49ers up 7-0 less than five minutes into the game.

Another three-and-out (which featured the second 49ers sack of the game) quickly gave the ball back to the 49ers, who turned their second possession into a 10-play, 41-yard drive that culminated in a 39-yard field goal from Moody for a 10-3 lead. Back-to-back punts followed Moody's field goal, then the 49ers received some dividends from their recent trade for defensive end Chase Young when he and fellow defensive end Nick Bosa met Lawrence in the backfield for a sack and fumble that gave the 49ers the ball near midfield early in the second quarter.

The 49ers couldn't cash in on the fumble and punted the ball back to the Jaguars, who faced a long field after 49ers punter Mitch Wishnowsky pinned the Jaguars at their own 1-yard line. The Jaguars responded with a 14-play, 80-yard drive that took over seven minutes off the clock and ended with a 37-yard field goal from Brandon McManus to cut the 49ers' lead to 7-3.

Just over four minutes remained in the second quarter after the field goal, which was enough for the 49ers to add some points before halftime -- barely. The 49ers moved 61 yards in 11 plays to set up a 35-yard field goal attempt for Moody as time expired in the first half, and after being iced two times, Moody narrowly fit his kick inside the right upright to give the 49ers a 13-3 lead.

The 49ers finished the first half with an overall yardage advantage of 174 to 118, with 122 of those coming through the air. Purdy threw for 130 yards on 11-of-17 passing, while the 49ers totaled three sacks and five quarterback hits on defense.

Second Half

Things got rolling in a hurry to start the second half for the 49ers, who needed less than 60 seconds to stretch their lead to 20-3. After a nine-yard completion to wide receiver Deebo Samuel on the first play of the half, Purdy found Kittle open in one-on-one coverage, then Kittle broke free and strutted into the end zone for a 66-yard score. The touchdown pass was the longest in Purdy's career to this point and was one of his more memorable throws as well.

The defense answered the bell again on the next possession for the 49ers, led once again by a turnover-forcing play from Bosa. The Jaguars faced a 3rd-and-1 at the 49ers' 34-yard line when Bosa brought the pressure on Lawrence, who threw a pass that went through the hands of running back Tank Bigsby and into the hands of safety Talanoa Hufanga for an interception.

The 49ers punted after the interception, then bent on defense on the following possession but didn't break, thanks to their third takeaway of the game. The Jaguars drove 77 yards before cornerback Ambry Thomas forced a fumble on a catch by wide receiver Christian Kirk, then recovered the fumble and appeared to have run the length of the field for a touchdown. But the score was called back after multiple 49ers players ran on the field during the return, which caused officials to give the 49ers possession at the Jaguars' 19.

Thomas may not have been given a touchdown on the turnover, but the 49ers wound up making the score 27-3 anyway after a seven-play, 81-yard drive that ended with a touchdown run by Samuel. The 49ers converted a 3rd-and-9 on a 20-yard catch by Aiyuk early in the drive, then after a 21-yard catch by Kittle and a 14-yard run by Christian McCaffrey moved the ball to the Jaguars' 23-yard line, Samuel took an end around and ran it into the end zone for his third touchdown of the season.

Yet another takeaway came on the next possession, this one courtesy of linebacker Fred Warner, who picked off Lawrence and returned the ball across midfield to the Jaguars' 40-yard line. Three plays later, Purdy found fullback Kyle Juszczyk wide open for a 22-yard touchdown and a 34-3 lead.

The 49ers forced a three-and-out after the touchdown, then took over at their own 31-yard line with just under 12 minutes remaining. From there they went on a 13-play, 64-yard drive, during which they inserted Sam Darnold at quarterback in place of Purdy. The 49ers made an effort during the drive to get McCaffrey into the end zone to extend his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown to 18 but fell short on downs deep in Jaguars' territory. The Jaguars punted on their final possession, then the 49ers ran out the clock to end the game.

The 49ers moved to 6-3 with the win, while the Jaguars snapped a five-game winning streak and fell to 6-3 with the loss.

Game Notes: The 49ers now lead their series against the Jaguars 5-2. After losing their first two matchups against the Jaguars in 1999 and 2005, the 49ers have now won five straight in the series... The 49ers were three-point favorites over the Jaguars heading into the game... Next up for the 49ers is a home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, November 19 (4:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. PT, FOX). The Jaguars will be at home for an AFC South game against the Tennessee Titans (1:00 p.m. ET. CBS).

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