The 49ers defence looked more like itself on Sunday in a convincing win over the Jaguars, although in part because of a few minor adjustments.
Other than moving Steve Wilks to the bench during the bye week, it seems like San Francisco made more alterations. They also switched positions in the secondary, slotting cornerback Deommodore Lenoir in and sending CB Ambry Thomas to the outside CB spot. It meant that CB Isaiah Oliver had to sit.
Thomas played in 46 of the 57 defensive snaps for the club. Ward played 54 and Lenoir played 53. Oliver was only allowed three minutes of trash time.
This season, the 49ers have already made two changes to their cornerback group. Oliver and Thomas, the third CB, initially shared a timeshare. When Thomas struggled in Week 2, the coaching staff decided to move Lenoir outside and start Oliver at the spot full-time.
Oliver, though, struggled throughout the team’s three-game losing streak. During that stretch of games, he allowed 15 receptions on 15 targets for 127 yards and two scores, with only one pass breakup. He also missed three tackles, which was a significant issue for San Francisco in that losing streak.
It appears that the change was advantageous.
The 49ers’ better coverage against the Jaguars resulted in five sacks and 10 quarterback hits for the defensive line. Thanks in part to Thomas, Calvin Ridley, the Jaguars’ top receiver, was only able to record two grabs for 20 yards on three targets. In addition, he forced a fumble by Christian Kirk, a wide receiver for the Jaguars, late in the third quarter deep in the red zone, which ultimately helped San Francisco win in Week 10.
Although the 49ers coaching staff has had difficulty selecting the top three cornerbacks, the team’s 6-3 start has been largely dependent on their versatility. The change made on Sunday might have been the main reason for the team’s 34-3 thrashing.
