The San Francisco 49ers are picking up steam at the right time while the Jacksonville Jaguars remain a winless team in disarray.
The visiting 49ers wasted no time pouncing on the Jaguars’ beleaguered defense early, scoring on each of its first four possessions in a 42-10 romp before 83,559 at Wembley Stadium.
The second and final contest as part of the NFL’s International Series left no doubt who the better team was. San Francisco, the defending NFC champions, continued their recent upswing following a sluggish start behind 164 yards passing from quarterback Colin Kaepernick. He, along with running back Frank Gore, provided all the offense the 49ers needed. Gore tallied the game’s first points on a 19-yard scamper in the first quarter before Kaepernick and tight end Vernon Davis added additional scoring plays to stake San Francisco to a 28-0 lead.
Jacksonville had no answer and ended up leaving London wondering what to make of what’s become a lost season, let alone if they’ll crack the win column (0-8). The 49ers, meanwhile, won their fifth straight following a 1-2 start. Credit the San Francisco defense for also applying the clamps on the Jaguars in the second half. The Niners held Jacksonville star running back Maurice Jones Drew to just 75 yards on 19 carries. San Francisco also recorded a defensive touchdown after Dan Skuta returned a Marcedes Lewis fumble 47 yards early in the final period.
Gore gained 71 yards on 19 carries, but accounted for two 49er TD’s. Jacksonville’s lone TD came on a 28-yard hookup between Chad Henne and Mike Brown in the third quarter with the game well out of reach.
”The offensive line did a great job, made it easy for me,” said Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl last year. ”I think this is one of the first game that we started that fast.” But on the other side of the field, a much somber mood for the “home team” Jaguars. ”Our season’s not over,” Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon. ”We’re not going to just go out there and get our (butts) kicked, we’re going to go back out there and fight.” The league recently announced that starting next season, Wembley will play host to three games in the International Series, which will include an appearance from the Dallas Cowboys.
The Jaguars will take on what many sports fans in the U.S. have nicknamed “America’s Team,” while the Detroit Lions will play the Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Dolphins will take on the Oakland Raiders. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-27, in the first game of the International Series last month.
W| By Michael Lyle
