Eagles / 49ers Preview – The Two Best Square Off

Eagles / 49ers Preview – The Two Best Square Off

by Thomas Quaynor – NFL analyst for Wannamakeabet.com

The NFC Championship game will feature the NFC’s best two teams as the San Francisco 49ers (13-4) visit the Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles are a 2.5 point favorite and the total is 46.5. The 49ers topped the visiting Dallas Cowboys, 19-12 last Sunday in the divisional round, their 12th straight win. It’s been just over three months since the 49ers last lost a game, a 44-23 loss to Kansas City on October 23rd. 

This will be the 49ers second straight year in the NFC Championship game, they lost to the Los Angeles Rams, 20-17 last season. The Eagles pounded the New York Giants, 38-7, last Saturday night in the divisional round to advance to Sunday’s championship game. 

We always hear the term ‘winning the battle of the trenches’ when discussing linemen play in football, the term is especially applicable to this game as the defensive and offensive lines of both teams are among the best in the NFL. The Eagles defense registered 70 sacks this season, which is 15 ahead of the team who finished second.

The Eagles offensive line features two All-Pros in right tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce. Meanwhile, 49ers veteran All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams is considered the best offensive lineman in the NFL and they feature three defensive players who were named to the All-Pro team in defensive end Nick Bosa, linebacker Fred Warner and safety Talanoa Hufanga.

In an interesting side note, the starting quarterbacks in this game actually played against each other in college in November 2019. Brock Purdy’s Iowa State Cyclones met Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts in Norman, Oklahoma. Hurts got the upper-hand in that one as Oklahoma eked out a 42-41 win, Hurts threw for three touchdowns, while Purdy accounted for six touchdown, five passing and one rushing, which tied a school record. 

THE SKINNY ON SAN FRANCISCO

Usually when a championship caliber team loses its starting quarterback, it spells doom and gloom for that team, well the 49ers lost both QB1 and QB2  to season-ending injuries and have not missed a beat as rookie seventh round draft pick/ ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ Brock Purdy has come in and won eight straight games.

The October trade for star running back Christian McCaffrey has also paid huge dividends for the 49ers as they’ve only lost once since acquiring him. McCaffrey is averaging 6.2 yards per carry in the postseason. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has bounced back from injury and recorded 10 catches for 178 yards in the 49ers in the postseason. The 49ers defense has maintained their dominance in the postseason by shutting down Seattle in the second half of the Super Wild Card game and limiting Dallas to just 12 points last week.

THE SKINNY ON PHILADELPHIA

The Philadelphia Eagles were storming into the playoffs after a 25-20 win at Chicago improved their record to 13-1. After that game it was revealed that quarterback/MVP candidate Jalen Hurts suffered a shoulder injury that would cause him to miss multiple weeks. Hurts would miss the next two games which ended up being losses to Dallas and New Orleans.

Hurts returned for the regular season finale and looked okay in defeating the New York Giants, who were resting most of their starters. There were questions surrounding how healthy and/or effective Hurts would be for the playoffs, Hurts answered those questions as his first two drives of the game against the Giants resulted in touchdown passes and the game was never competitive .

The Eagles also rushed for 268 yards in last week’s win led by back up running back Kenneth Gainwell’s 112 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown, starter Miles Sanders had 90 yards on 17 carries. The Eagles elite defense continued its excellence against the Giants last week as they sacked Daniel Jones five times and intercepted him once. Linebacker Haason Reddick and defensive end Josh Sweat each had 1.5 sacks, Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox each had a sack. 

THE PICK 

Both teams were head and shoulders above the rest of the NFC this year and are evenly matched but I like the 49ers experience here, take the points…49ers 27, Eagles 17