49ers grades in sloppy loss to Jaguars as team faces breakdowns in all phases

The red pen is getting a workout today.Not much went right for the 49ers on Sunday, as they experienced breakdowns in all phases of the game in their 26-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi’s Stadium.You name it, and the 49ers did not do it well while losing their first game of the season.Here is the 49ers’ report card from their Week 4 game against the Jaguars:Rushing offenseAgain, the 49ers had a difficult time getting anything going on the ground. They managed just three first downs rushing. The 49ers averaged 3.5 yards per carry.Christian McCaffrey carried the ball 17 times but managed just 49 yards. The 49ers continue to be the only team in the NFL without a rushing touchdown this season. Brian Robinson was mixed into the action a little, as he carried five times for 21 yards.Defenses are putting a priority on taking away the 49ers’ running game, and they simply cannot come up with the answers to solve the puzzle.Grade: D+Passing offenseThe passing game looked completely out of sorts from the beginning. Brock Purdy was off the mark with his throws, and his targets did not help him by failing to latch onto passes that hit their hands.Purdy completed 22 of 38 passes for 309 yards with two touchdowns. But it was the two interceptions (and Luke Farrell’s fumble after a reception) that proved costly.Then, when the 49ers still had a chance to win it, former 49ers defensive tackle Arik Armstead swatted the ball away from Purdy for another late-game takeaway. The 49ers’ passing game turned it over four times.Grade: FRushing defenseJaguars running back Travis Etienne should have been stopped after about an 8-yard gain, instead he turned it into a 48-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.The 49ers were pushed around up front. Etienne gained 124 yards on 19 rushing attempts for a 6.5-yard average.As a team, the Jaguars rushed for 151 yards with a 4.7-yard average.Grade: DPassing defenseConsidering how much time Trevor Lawrence had to throw, it is remarkable he had only 174 yards passing.The 49ers did not sack Lawrence. They did not administer a quarterback hit. In fact, it was the first time the 49ers’ defense did not have a sack or quarterback hit since Sept. 20, 2015, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.The 49ers have now gone 11 games without recording an interception. Upton Stout could’ve/should’ve had a pick but he was called for a questionable pass interference penalty to nullify an apparent interception.Grade: D-plusSpecial teamsIt was flashbacks to 2024 with the 49ers experiencing a couple of critical mistakes on special teams.The 49ers pulled to within eight points, 14-6, with 40 seconds remaining in the first half on Eddy Piñeiro’s 23-yard field goal. But special teams gave it right back with a 54-yard kickoff return that led to the Jaguars responding with a field goal of their own on the final play of the half.In the second half, Parker Washington busted loose on an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown for a 26-14 lead late in the third quarter.Grade: FCoachingThere was chaos in the first half when the 49ers accepted a penalty that, apparently, coach Kyle Shanahan wanted to decline.A short time later, they lost a challenge. That was at least worth a shot because the 49ers challenged whether Travis Hunter held onto the ball for a 28-yard gain a third-and-15 play from deep in Jacksonville territory.While Shanahan had success with a couple of trick plays, including a Purdy-to-Ricky Pearsall-to-McCaffrey hook-and-lateral, they could not find the answers in the red zone.Grade: DOverallThis was an equal-opportunity loss for the 49ers. Not one area of the team played well enough to win. That said, it’s amazing it was only a five-point game and the 49ers had a chance to win it in the final minutes.But, in keeping with how things went on this day, they coughed up their final chance to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten.Grade: FDownload and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

49ers grades in sloppy loss to Jaguars as team faces breakdowns in all phases

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