Tag: jauan jennings

Rise of 49ers WR opens door to solve one big offensive question

Maybe more “3 WR” sets is the move for the 49ers.

There’s a minor problem simmering under the surface of one of the San Francisco 49ers’ biggest offensive successes this season.

Running back Jordan Mason is second in the NFL in rushing yards with 447, but his 91 carries far outpace the rest of the league. He’s on pace for a whopping 387 carries, which would be the most in an NFL season since DeMarco Murray had 392 for the Cowboys in 2014.

The 49ers have to figure out a way to lighten his workload. Perhaps RB Christian McCaffrey returns at some point and the sustainability question for Mason is erased completely. It’s tough to bank on McCaffrey at this point though given that we’re still unsure what his timeline for return even looks like.

It doesn’t appear San Francisco has an immediate solution to take some of the carries off of Mason’s plate. Rookie Isaac Guerendo had one rush in the first two weeks, five in Week 3, but then was back to one in Week 4. Patrick Taylor, the other RB on the roster, hasn’t played an offensive snap.

Maybe it’s a lack of trust for head coach Kyle Shanahan, or just an uncertainty about the production those two could provide in comparison to Mason.

That brings us to our proposed solution: Jauan Jennings.

This isn’t to say Jennings should be in the backfield. However, his emergence as a legitimate receiving weapon on a high volume of targets makes it conceivable that he should be playing more.

The 49ers love to lean on their 21 personnel with two running backs, one tight end and two WRs, and Shanahan has indicated they plan to stick with that as their primary personnel grouping despite Jennings’s emergence as a potential star.

A move to some 11 personnel (one RB, one TE, three WRs) may allow San Francisco to both spell Mason and get Jennings on the field thanks to Deebo Samuel’s versatility.

Using Samuel in the backfield isn’t a novel concept, but it’s one the 49ers have gone away from since his breakout All-Pro campaign in 2021. That year he ran it 59 times. In 2022 his carries dipped to 42, and then to 37 last season. His snaps in the backfield also dropped from 116 in 2021 to just 49 in 2023 per Pro Football Focus.

We’ve already seen the 49ers rely on Samuel as a runner in pinch this season. They fed him eight carries in Week 1 when they found out before the game they wouldn’t have McCaffrey for the opener against the New York Jets. By moving him into the backfield to take some of the workload off of Mason, they can either utilize Samuel’s rushing ability or design ways to get the ball in his hands in space to limit some of the damage done by between-the-tackles carries.

Then when the 49ers want to go back to 21, they can bring in Mason for Samuel and allow Samuel to get some plays off while Jennings stays on the field with WR Brandon Aiyuk. It’s tacking some touches onto Samuel’s plate, but it also opens the door to getting him some in-game rest to keep him healthy over the long-term (or at least until McCaffrey is back), while also ensuring Jennings continues getting an opportunity to be impactful.

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Will Jauan Jennings play more even with 49ers healthy at WR?

More Jauan Jennings? It’s a real possibility even with the 49ers receiving corps getting healthier.

It’s unlikely we’ll see the 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan make any major schematic changes to their offense any time soon.

However, their injury issues have forced some players to jump into bigger roles and perhaps make a case for more playing time even after the injury situation improves.

No player embodied the ‘next man up’ mentality more than wide receiver Jauan Jennings in Week 3. With no Deebo Samuel at wide receiver and no George Kittle at tight end, Jennings played a career-high 60 snaps and turned in a remarkable 11-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown performance.

His outing brought up questions about how the 49ers would navigate the WR position when Samuel was healthy since they so often run two-receiver sets that leave Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on the field. Shanahan was asked in a press conference Friday about the possibility of using more 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end) in lieu of their typical 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end). He said that drastic change is unlikely, but more Jennings is a possibility.

“I’m always comfortable with Jauan,” Shanahan said. “But our, if we’re not going 11, it has nothing to do with always trying to get our best 11 people out there. Jauan, I think, has been one of our best 11 people since he’s been here. That usually more has to do with advantages of 21-personnel and things like that. But it’s a good problem to have. I want to get Jauan out there more. He’s that type of player. It doesn’t always mean that you go totally different with your scheme and everything, but you can always rotate him in more too.”

Jennings has acquitted himself well every time he’s stepped into any kind of role with the 49ers. Utilizing him more may allow the club to keep Samuel and Kittle healthier down the stretch of the season. Jennings doesn’t have a ton of miles on his body, and he’s a big, physical receiver who is excellent at pulling down contested catches. He’s also flashed some run-after-the-catch ability during his career.

It’s unlikely we’ll see another game any time soon where Jennings is getting 10-plus targets while Samuel, Aiyuk and Kittle are all healthy. We can and should see more of him though considering how effective he is when he steps on the field. Don’t be surprised if his snap counts start to creep up and his production becomes a little more consistent.

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Jauan Jennings scores three touchdowns against Rams

Former Vol Jauan Jennings scores three touchdowns in NFL game for San Francisco.

The Rams (1-2) defeated San Francisco (1-2), 27-24, Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California during Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season.

Former Vol wide receiver Jauan Jennings totaled a career-high 11 receptions for 175 yards and three touchdowns for the 49ers. He eclipsed 100 receiving yards and scored three receiving touchdowns for the first time in the NFL.

Jennings has appeared in three games this season. He has recorded 18 receptions for 276 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Jennings played for Tennessee from from 2015-19 under head coaches Butch Jones and Jeremy Pruitt. He appeared in 48 games for the Vols and recorded 146 receptions for 2,153 yards and 18 receiving touchdowns. The former Vol also recorded 93 rushing yards and one touchdown on 25 rushing attempts.

San Francisco selected Jennings in the seventh round (No. 217th overall) in the 2020 NFL draft. He was waived by the 49ers in Sept. 2020 and then later signed to the practice squad and injured reserve.

San Francisco will next play on Sept. 29 against New England. Kickoff is slated for 4:05 p.m. EDT at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Jauan Jennings going off for 49ers against Rams

Jauan Jennings will never forget his Week 3 game against the Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have not been able to cover San Francisco 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings on Sunday.

That would be the understatement of the season.

In the third quarter, Jennings had eight catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns as San Francisco led its NFC West rival, 21-14.

Amazing as it seems, Jennings’ best catch might not have gone for a score. Check out this grab in the third quarter.

Jauan Jennings makes up for 49ers injuries by himself

Make that a hat-trick for Jauan Jennings against the Rams.

Jauan Jennings has arrived.

With Deebo Samuel and George Kittle sidelined, the fourth-year wide receiver out of Tennessee broke out with a hat trick performance against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3.

After catching a pair of touchdowns in the first half, Brock Purdy went right back to Jennings in the third quarter to make it a two-score ballgame in Los Angeles.

Purdy floated a pretty pass into the open arms of Jennings for a 31-yard touchdown.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1837979319332720709

Halfway through the third quarter, Jennings is leading the 49ers with six receptions for 102 yards and three touchdowns.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Brock Purdy magic leads to Jauan Jennings’ second TD vs. Rams

The Brock Purdy to Jauan Jennings connection is rolling early in Los Angeles.

With multiple playmakers like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle sidelined in Week 3, Brock Purdy is leaning on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings early against the Los Angeles Rams.

After connecting for a wide-open 13-yard touchdown to start the game, Purdy went back to the Tennessee product on the 49ers’ second trip to the red zone.

Following a dance and a scramble to break free, the 49ers quarterback was able to find Jennings again in the back of the end zone for a touchdown strike. Purdy added a four-yard touchdown pass to Jennings’ impressive start against the Rams on Sunday.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

Early in the game, Jennings is leading the 49ers receivers with three catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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49ers up on Rams as Brock Purdy connects with Jauan Jennings twice

Jajuan Jennings found the end zone twice in the first quarter for the 49ers

Brock Purdy was without Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle and Deebo Samuel on Sunday against the Rams.

It wasn’t a problem in the first quarter at SoFi against the Los Angeles Rams for the San Francisco 49ers quarterback.

He turned to Jauan Jennings for a pair of touchdown passes. The first was good for 13 yards, the second from four yards.

The Niners led 14-0 in the NFC West matchup after a quarter.

49ers cruise to easy TD without stars vs Rams

Brock Purdy laced a 13-yard pass to a wide open Jauan Jennings to get the 49ers on the board early against the Rams.

Without Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle in Week 3 on Sunday, the pressure fell on the shoulders of Brock Purdy. To open the game, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback delivered.

With a strong running game from Jordan Mason, the 49ers cruised down the field for the first score of the game. Brock Purdy threw. strike over the middle of the field for a wide-open touchdown pass from 13 yards out. Behind the Purdy to Jennings connection, the 49ers grabbed an early 7-0 lead in Los Angeles.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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49ers finally get good injury news with Week 2 approaching

Hey the 49ers practice participation report had some good news on it!

The San Francisco 49ers finally had good news on their practice participation report.

Every player on the 53-man roster participated in Thursday’s practice leading up to Week 2. That’s a departure from the first handful of practices of the year where defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos and linebacker Dee Winters were both non-participants.

Here’s what Thursday’s participation report looked like:

Limited participation

DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)
LB Dee Winters (ankle)
LG Aaron Banks (finger, calf)
S Talanoa Hufanga (knee)
WR Jauan Jennings (ankle)
RB Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles)

Gross-Matos and Winters both getting limited sessions in is a good sign that they’re trending the right way, but it doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to play Sunday. Limited practice is better than no practice, though.

Banks, Hufanga, Jennings and McCaffrey were all limited in Wednesday’s session as well. Banks and Jennings both played in the season opener and suffered injuries during the game. Jennings returned to the contest, but Banks did not. Spencer Burford played well in his stead.

Hufanga and McCaffrey are both significant question marks for Week 2 after missing the season opener. If either gets a full practice in Friday it would bode well for their chances to suit up in Minnesota. If neither gets a full practice, we may need to wait another week to see the starting running back and strong safety on the field.

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49ers standout Week 1 WR day-to-day after ankle injury

The 49ers’ leading receiver in Week 1 is day-to-day with an ankle injury for Week 2.

The San Francisco 49ers may have to have a new leading receiver in Week 2.

With Brandon Aiyuk working his way back after missing all of training camp and the preseason, wide receiver Jauan Jennings stepped up for the 49ers in their season-opening win against the Jets. He hauled in all five balls thrown his way, racked up 64 yards and turned four of his five receptions into first downs.

One of his five catches ended with a defender landing awkwardly on his ankle. Jennings limped off and eventually returned, but head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters in a conference call Tuesday that Jennings would be day-to-day leading up to Week 2.

Typically there’d be plenty of reason for optimism, but the 49ers have a short turnaround after playing Monday night. They’ll also be on the road in Minnesota and playing on turf. That may lead them to be more cautious with players working through injuries given the risk of injury on the artificial surface.

It’ll be worth keeping a close eye on Jennings’ participation throughout the week of practice. He was nursing an ankle issue going into Week 1, but he was a limited participant the first two days and a full participant in the final practice before turning in a sterling Week 1 performance.

If Jennings can’t go against the Vikings, we may see an uptick in work for Aiyuk, as well as more playing time for veteran Chris Conley and rookie Jacob Cowing.

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