The 49ers defense looked more like itself in a Sunday romp over the Jaguars, but it looked more like itself thanks in part to looking a little different.
It turns out Steve Wilks’ move to the sideline wasn’t the only change for San Francisco over the bye week. They also made a change in the secondary with cornerback Deommodore Lenoir moving into the slot and CB Ambry Thomas taking over at outside CB. That pushed CB Isaiah Oliver to the bench.
Thomas played 46 of the team’s 57 defensive snaps. Ward played 54, and Lenoir played 53. Oliver was relegated to just three snaps in garbage time.
This is the second time this season the 49ers have made a tweak in the makeup of their cornerback group. It started with a timeshare between Thomas and Oliver as the third CB. That changed when Thomas struggled in Week 2, prompting the coaching staff to move Lenoir outside and Oliver to the slot full time.
Oliver struggled during the team’s three-game losing skid though. In that stretch of games he allowed 15 receptions on 15 targets for 127 yards and two touchdowns while only notching one pass breakup. He also missed three tackles – a huge issue for San Francisco during that losing streak.
It appears the change helped.
The 49ers were better in coverage against the Jags and it helped give the defensive front time to notch five sacks and 10 quarterback hits. Thomas helped hold Jaguars star receiver Calvin Ridley to two catches for 20 yards on three targets. He also forced a fumble by Jags WR Christian Kirk deep in the red zone that ultimately helped San Francisco seal their Week 10 victory late in the third quarter.
Finding the best three cornerbacks has been a journey for the 49ers’ coaching staff, but their ability to adapt as needed has been key to the team’s 6-3 start, and Sunday’s change might have been the biggest key in sparking a 34-3 blowout win.
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