Sunday afternoon at Wembley, the Jacksonville Jaguars "host" the San Francisco 49ers.
Justin Blackmon, WR, Jacksonville
Blackmon, the fifth pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, has been excellent as the Jaguars' primary receiving option since returning from suspension. Blackmon does not excel in any physical category, but he is an excellent volume receiver who knows how to find holes in a defense. He will have to deal with an excellent Niners secondary, and likely double-teams, but based on how many times he is targeted (20 against the Broncos), he should still put up large numbers.
Paul Posluszny, LB, Jacksonville
Posluszny is the heart and soul of the Jaguars defense. Easily its best player, "Poz" is a tackling machine - racking up a franchise record 231 in 2012. Posluzny excels against the run, so look for him to almost live in the box against the strong Niners running game. He should have his hands full, and if the Jaguars want to have any chance of winning, they need Poz to step up and have the game of his life.
Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville
Once the franchise man for a play-off team in Jacksonville, MJD has sunk to new lows this year, ranking only 25th in the NFL by DYAR. This is mostly not his fault, as the combination of dreadful quarterback play and a porous offensive line (that has only gotten worse with the trade of Eugene Monroe and the loss of Luke Joeckel to injury) has led to eight and nine man boxes and plenty of short runs. MJD will be a free agent at year's end, and as a small ("Pocket Hercules"), ageing, running back he likely is not going to get the $15 million guaranteed he was hoping for just two years ago. There have been clamours for a trade for MJD, and it remains a distinct possibility, so consider Sunday a showcase for his talents. The Jaguars will pound the ball to set up play action and take pressure off quarterback Chad Henne. It has been a down year for MJD, but he still has highlight-reel worthy talent.
