After the San Francisco 49ers went on a three-game losing streak and were accused of perhaps not being true Super Bowl contenders, they got back on track in a big way on Sunday. They defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had been red-hot with a five-game winning streak, 34-3, and their defense looked dominant once again.
The 49ers sacked Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence five times, and defensive lineman Arik Armstead had a hand in that defensive prowess. However, on one play, he appeared to get kicked in the leg by offensive lineman Brandon Scherff.
After the game, Armstead called out Scherff for what he felt was a dirty play.
Armstead, who is one of the elder statesmen for San Francisco’s defense, has become somewhat of a forgotten man with the additions of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and, more recently, defensive end Chase Young. But he is still very important to what the team wants to accomplish.
NFL News & Rumors: Arik Armstead, San Francisco 49ers, Brandon Scherff, Jacksonville Jaguars Updates
Defense is the biggest reason why the team has reached the NFC Championship Game in three of the last four seasons, and if it is to make another serious run at the Super Bowl title this year, it will have to be its lynchpin once again, no matter how well quarterback Brock Purdy continues to play.
The addition of Young, who arrived in a trade with the Washington Commanders just before the trade deadline, seemed to revitalize a 49ers defense that had been struggling in their last couple of games. Jacksonville had come in looking very potent, but the Niners prevented them from scoring a single touchdown while harassing quarterback Trevor Lawrence into two interceptions and a fumble.
San Francisco will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday before facing the Seattle Seahawks on the road on Thanksgiving Day and the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 3.
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