Golden Nuggets: GAME DAY!!!!

49ers elevate Eli Apple from practice squad, Mac Jones cleared to face Jaguars
“The 49ers listed starting cornerback Renardo Green as questionable with a neck condition. Apple, Darrell Luter and Chase Lucas are the cornerbacks who could see action opposite of starting cornerback Deommodore Lenoir if Green is ruled out for the game.“

49ers vs. Jaguars: Christian McCaffrey, struggling ground attack face an old friend (paywall)
“That makes sense, particularly considering defenses haven’t feared the 49ers’ shorthanded pass-catching corps. But it’s not completely accurate. The 49ers have faced the 16th most stacked boxes — when a defense brings at least one extra defender near the line of scrimmage — this season, according to the Associated Press.

One issue: interior run blocking. Right guard Dominick Puni has a run-blocking grade that ranks 56th among 73 guards, according to Pro Football Focus. And fill-in left guard Connor Colby is a finding-his-way rookie seventh-round pick who is playing through a groin injury.

Puni and Colby figure to see plenty of Jacksonville defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who played for the 49ers from 2015-23 and will be facing his old team for the first time. Armstead is a reason the 49ers could struggle to get their struggling ground game going: The Jaguars are allowing 82.7 rushing yards a game, fourth fewest in the NFL.“

Travis Hunter gets the 49ers thinking: What other positions would they play? (paywall)
“Running back Brian Robinson Jr. thinks he could give Williams a run for his money. In fact, he just might.

“I would play nickelback or safety,” Robinson said. “I actually have that in my game. After I play another few years at running back, I am going to change my position and play a couple more years on defense. But you can’t tell everybody that.”

(Reporter points to his recorder.)

“Everybody is going to steal my idea and start training,” Robinson said. “If it’s out, I might as well start posting my old middle school videos of me lighting people up.”

The 49ers players obviously don’t lack in confidence.

When linebacker Fred Warner was asked, he said, “No question: quarterback.”

Has he ever played quarterback?

“No.”

Cornerback Upton Stout will have to cover Hunter at times on Sunday. If the rookie had to jump on offense and help the 49ers, it would be at running back.

“I would be a running back/slot merchant,” Stout said. “Give me a quick pass and I can run past the linebacker. But I haven’t done that since middle school. Once they put me on the B-team, I knew that was over.

“I knew I wouldn’t be able to get my people out of their situation if I stayed at running back. Seventh grade — my last snap on offense.”…….Defensive tackle Alfred Collins, meanwhile, would be a 332-pound tight end.

“Mostly blocking, but I would get out there on a route or two,” he said. “I have good hands.”

Collins even caught a 2-point conversion at Cedar Creek (Texas) High.

Niners tight end Jake Tonges might take a crack at covering Collins.

“I would be a 3-4 edge linebacker and rush the quarterback,” Tonges said. “Or they might put me back at an off-the-ball backer spot.”

The 6-4, 240-pound Tonges didn’t even start at tight end until his senior year at Los Gatos High — “We had a guy who was lined up to go to a DI school” — but did earn all-league honors at defensive end.

“I miss just going out there and playing ball instead of waiting for the two-sentence-long play call in the huddle,” Tonges said. “I am sure it’s much more complex at this level. … I can’t imagine playing both ways at this level. It would be really, really hard unless you were part of a super-simple offense.”