After a dominant run of three back-to-back wins, the San Francisco 49ers stumbled for the first time this season, losing 26-21 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Quarterback Brock Purdy had his worst game, with two interceptions and one lost fumble in Week 4. But Purdy didn’t shy away from accountability. “It starts with me,” Purdy claimed.

“Throwing better balls and being smart with the ball. So I think it really starts there, and I just got to be better. So outside of that, like, as an offense, like, it’s something that we harp on every single day, and our team knows it. Offense needs to protect the ball. It needs to protect it,” he explained to the reporters. However, his teammate and tackle Trent Williams disagreed and said,  “I don’t really think.”

When asked about the QB and the pressure that he mentioned, Williams explained, “I mean, we got to protect him, so it’s not on him.” He added, “You know, he threw an interception, both of the passes got tipped. So, I mean, yeah, I don’t know. Probably just frustrated from the outcome, probably not personally frustrated. He shouldn’t be, anyway.” Taking the blame away from Purdy, saying it is the job of the offensive line to protect the quarterback, and they failed at it.

Be it for the game or personally, Purdy didn’t appear to be satisfied with the performance and the offense. The QB had 11 of 21 passes for 135 yards and an interception by halftime. He completed 22-of-28 passes for 309 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He threw his first interception while the team was advancing in Jacksonville territory, forcing a high pass to running back Christian McCaffrey that was picked off by linebacker Devin Lloyd despite having other check-down options.

Not just the QB, coach Kyle Shanahan also shared the sentiment.

“I saw some inconsistency with our whole offense,” Shanahan said. “Moved the ball, but really killed ourselves on four different turnovers. Two were fumbles and two were picks. One was off a tip. One was just out of reach of Christian, is what it looked like. He was waiting for him to get through there. The guy was grabbing him, so it took a little bit longer than usual, and it just sailed on him a bit.”

The second interception came early in the third quarter after a defensive stop and a 49ers touchdown. This time, Lloyd intercepted another pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage. There were several where the QB wasn’t able to see the field clearly at all.

Jacksonville running back Travis Etienne turned what should have been an 8-yard gain into a 48-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, showcasing poor tackling fundamentals by San Francisco’s defense.

San Francisco was pushed around at the line of scrimmage throughout the contest. Etienne finished with 124 yards on 19 carries for a robust 6.5-yard average, consistently finding running lanes and breaking arm tackles.

As a team, Jacksonville rushed for 151 yards at 4.7 yards per carry, controlling the line of scrimmage and dictating tempo. The 49ers’ front seven couldn’t establish gap integrity or generate penetration, allowing the Jaguars to establish physical dominance that complemented their defensive success and special teams’ advantage.

There’s also a question about whether he is fully fit to play on the field after his turf toe injury that he sustained during the season opener game against the Seattle Seahawks. Luckily, he didn’t require surgery. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who sustained the same injury, has been sidelined for three months following his surgery. It won’t be wrong to say that the 49ers avoided a major hurdle despite the team being the worst hit with injuries.

It wasn’t just the offense.

The 49ers’ defense deeply missed Nick Bosa

Defensive end Nick Bosa sustained a season-ending torn ACL injury in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals. The 49ers’ struggle was evident.  The 49ers struggled in his absence. The run defense also showed cracks that hadn’t appeared in the first three games, giving up their first 100-yard rusher of the season.

The pass rush, which Bosa so often anchors, was practically nonexistent. Defensive end Bryce Huff, expected to shoulder increased responsibility in Bosa’s absence, managed just one tackle for loss but failed to provide the disruptive presence San Francisco desperately needed. His quiet performance highlighted the irreplaceable nature of Bosa’s elite pass-rushing ability.

San Francisco’s defensive line, Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins, were notably absent from the action, unable to capitalize on increased playing opportunities. Their lack of production compounded the team’s pass rush problems.

The 49ers’ defensive line generated zero sacks and zero quarterback hits on Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, representing a complete failure to pressure the opposing quarterback. The toothless pass rush exposed San Francisco’s lack of defensive line depth and over-reliance on Bosa to generate pressure, creating systemic issues that extend far beyond one player’s absence.

 The 49ers must prevent these issues in the Thursday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Rams.