1:20: 49ers defense gets to work with the Jaguars on their own 6
1:15: A week after hitting the winner as time expired, Eddy Piñeiro nails a 25-yarder to give the 49ers a 3-0 lead.
Purdy led the 49ers 57 yards in 12 plays. He completed 4 of 6 attempts for 30 yards and Christian McCaffrey rushed four times for 18 yards and caught two passes. 49ERS 3, JAGUARS 0. 8:33 left in the first quarter
1:08: Purdy’s first pass attempt goes to Kyle Juszczyk for 18 yards
1:04 p.m.: Temperature in Santa Clara at kickoff is 73 degrees
1:02: The 49ers, in white, and Brock Purdy will get the ball first. The Jaguars win the coin toss and defer.
The opening kickoff is nearly here, but in the meantime, here is our Cam Inman’s five keys to the 49ers defeating the Jaguars this afternoon at Levi’s Stadium. It’s the 3-0 49ers’ first game since defensive star Nick Bosa was lost for the season to a knee injury.
Below are our pregame notes…
SANTA CLARA — When Brock Purdy returns to the field after a two-week absence Sunday, it will be with a wide receiver crew that’s pretty close to full strength.
Wide receivers Ricky Pearsall Jr. and Jauan Jennings listed as questionable during the week, are both active and will face the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi’s Stadium (1:05 p.m., Fox). So will Demarcus Robinson, who missed the first three games on suspension for being in violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
The most in doubt was Jennings, who didn’t practice until Friday and has been hobbled by knee and shoulder issues. Pearsall said his designation was strictly precautionary and that he would play.
It remains to be seen how much the 49ers will use Robinson, who was one of their steadiest performers during training camp.
“It was just good to get him back in practice this week,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday. “Obviously having a month off, guys are always rusty coming back in. I think he’s done a good job staying in shape and stuff, but getting back into the football stuff, getting in and out of the huddle Friday compared to Wednesday, I thought he came a long way and excited to get him back out there on Sunday, get him a part of our team and get this started with him.”
The inactive list included starting cornerback Renardo Green, who is dealing with a neck injury. Other inactives were running back Jordan James, wide receiver Jordan Watkins (ccalf), wide receiver Marques Valdes-Scantling, defensive tackle C.J. West and linebacker Nick Martin.
Quarterback Mac Jones, who went in questionable with a knee injury after winning starts against New Orleans and Arizona, is active and available to back up Purdy.
Meanwhile, Brandon Aiyuk continues to rehab a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee, joining his teammates in a sweat suit regularly during practice and moving well.
But not well enough, according to 49ers GM John Lynch.
Although there have been no setbacks, Lynch said on his weekly appearance on KNBR-680 the process will be a deliberate one.
“There’s different levels when you do these ACLs, and Brandon had a fairly significant injury, involving a lot of different things in his knee,” Lynch said. “He’s a really gifted athlete. He’s a very hard worker. And so when you combine that, you tend to come back at a good clip.
“There’s no absolutes on these things. So he’s got to continue to hit markers, but he is tracking well. He’s working hard. And we’ll just continue to do that. We’ll be a better team when Brandon is out there. And so we look forward to that day, but you know, it’s not close. When we have some more information on that, we’ll be forthright with it.”
Shanahan on Friday gave his interpretation of “not close” means.
“I think it’s more like when we get kind of an exact target date,” Shanahan said. “That’s when you look at it that way. I think we’re getting close to that. But just not to have a target date that’s when I start thinking about it and we don’t have that yet. So we’re waiting until they give us one.”
Designated as inactive for Jacksonville are wide receiver Dyami Brown, running back Cody Schrader, offensive lineman Wyatt Milam, defensive tackle Khalen Saunders Sr., defensive lineman Danny Striggow, linebacker Yasir Abdullah and and linebacker Khalef Hailassie.
Apple of Shanahan’s eye
The 49ers’ lone standard practice squad elevation was Eli Apple, who once upon a time was the 10th overall pick of the NFL Draft for the New York Giants in 2016.
With Green inactive, Apple was brought to the 53-man roster with Darrell Luter Jr. and Chase Lucas also available to play cornerback.
In his 10th season out of Ohio State, Apple joined the 49ers on July 28 only to be released Aug. 7 because of injuries at other positions. He was re-signed to the practice squad, where two weeks ago he was designated one of the scout team players of the week.
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Shanahan said at the time it spoke to Apple’s character as an example for younger players that a veteran of the Giants, Saints, Panthers, Bengals, Dolphins and Chargers with 102 and 82 starts would still be grinding out practices and competing for playing time. He predicted Apple would soon be up for a game.
“I’ve gone against him a number of times in this league and he has been awesome since we’ve had him here,” Shanahan said. “He was good in training camp, just got hurt after the first week and he’s been great since he came back.
“It’s an example for all the young guys that it really doesn’t matter,” Shanahan said. “You’ve got to work no matter where you’re at and when you do it like that it’s a matter of time where I think he’ll help us on Sundays too.”