49ers rush defense will be tested against Jaguars

Maurice Jones-Drew will cause problems for a 49ers
rush defense that has struggled recently.
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

The San Francisco 49ers rush defense for the most part has played well all season. They have stopped elite runners like Adrian Peterson and Steven Jackson from having 100-yard games.

However, in recent weeks, the 49ers have surrendered big running games to Chris Johnson (135 yards) and Ryan Grant (129 yards). The 49ers still rank 6th in rush defense with an average of 94.7 yards per game.

This Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the 49ers will have a handful with Maurice Jones-Drew. The running back from UCLA averages 4.8 yards per rush and 92.6 total rushing yards per game this year. Jones-Drew has eight rushing touchdowns in his past six games.

Jones-Drew's size and speed (5'7" and 208 pounds) might provide some difficulty for the 49ers. His height becomes an advantage against defenders. Hiding behind blockers and bursting out with speed has been Jones-Drew's M.O. since coming into the league in 2006.

Tackling was one of the 49ers' biggest struggles last Sunday and tackling Jones-Drew isn't an easy task. The ability of Jones-Drew to break tackles and elude defenders has made him one of the most dangerous running backs in the game. In the open field, Jones-Drew has the speed to separate himself from defenders.

And for the 49ers pass rush, Jones-Drew can handle that too. Just ask Shawne Merriman why he calls Jones-Drew "sir".

Obviously the running game isn't what the Jaguars can only do on offense. In years past, Fred Taylor and Jones-Drew were extremely successful in running the ball to set the tone against the opposition. Now the Jaguars are using their young receivers in Mike Sims-Walker and Mike Thomas with the veteran leadership of Torry Holt to propel a pass game ranked 17th in the league. It isn't impressive, but the pass has been effective late in games for the Jaguars.

The balanced attack from Jacksonville can be a problem for a 49ers defense that has looked inconsistent in the past few weeks. In order for the 49ers to contain the Jaguars, they need to stop Jones-Drew. It's going to be a tough task to contain a very strong Jaguars running attack. The 49ers defense have the personnel to do it, but it hasn't looked so good recently.

For more 49ers news: Visit my my blog at  Mining the Gold Rush .
Follow me on Twitter for updates. Check me out here @SLam49ers