Category: Eagles

4 ways that Eagles dominated 49ers in the NFC Championship Game

Here are four ways that the #Eagles dominated the #49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday

The Philadelphia Eagles dispatched the San Francisco with ease in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday y a 31-7 margin. After knocking out rookie sensation Brock Purdy on a vicious strip-sack, the Eagles took a lead and never looked back in their effort to clinch their first Super Bowl berth since 2018.

Though many thought this game would be close, it ended up as a lopsided affair that showcased the dominance that Philadelphia flashed all season.

Here are the four key aspects of the Eagles’ effort that lifted them over San Francisco to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl:

Trent Williams, K’Von Wallace ejected from NFC Championship game

San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams and Philadelphia Eagles safety K’Von Wallace were both ejected from the NFC Championship game.

The NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers was chippy from the start, and things started to really devolve as the clock passed five minutes left in the game, which was a 31-7 blowout in the Eagles’ favor.

With 4:19 left in the game, and right after a Christian McCaffrey eight-yard run, the usual pushing and shoving turned into a real brawl, which was punctuated by 49ers left tackle Trent Williams throwing Eagles safety K’Von Wallace to the ground. This following Wallace getting into it in the middle of a large group of 49ers players.

Referee John Hussey cleared the field, sending both teams to the benches, and then disqualified Williams and Wallace from the remainder of the game with matching unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

As for Wallace’s status for Super Bowl LVII, the disqualification would not carry over to that game, unless he was suspended by the league.

Jason Kelce adds to Hall of Fame resume on Miles Sanders’ two first-half touchdowns

Eagles center Kason Kelce is one of the best in the business, and he proved it on both of Miles Sanders TD runs against the 49ers.

With six Pro Bowl nods, five First-Team All-Pro nominations, and a Super Bowl ring already in his pocket, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce has firmly established himself as not only one of the best players at his position in his era, but a credible Hall of Famer once his time comes around.

When Kelce does make his way to Canton (perhaps with younger brother Travis), you could do worse for his sizzle reel than the two touchdowns scored by running Miles Sanders in the first half of Philly’s Conference Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers.

The first Sanders touchdown came with 9:48 left in the first quarter, and Kelce teamed with left guard Lendon Dickerson to drive 49ers top defender Arik Armstead all the way to the end zone from six yards out just as Sanders crossed the goal line.

The second Sanders touchdown came with 1:36 left in the first half, and in this instance, it was up to Kelce to drive up to the second level and take on 49ers linebacker Drew Greenlaw. Not an easy task, as Greenlaw is one of the NFL’s most athletic linebackers. Kelce didn’t pancake Greenlaw into oblivion or anything, but he derailed Greenlaw just enough for Sanders to get back to the end zone.

Eagles score two quick touchdowns to grab halftime lead

The Eagles scored a pair of TDs in 80 seconds in the second quarter

The Philadelphia Eagles were in a tussle with the San Francisco 49ers at the Linc on Sunday despite their opponent being down to a fourth-string quarterback.

The Eagles got a pair of scores in 1:20 late in the second quarter to break a 7-7 tie and go up by 14.

All of Philly’s first-half touchdowns were on the ground.

Philly was helped by a series of defensive penalties by San Francisco.

Miles Sanders scored his second touchdown to make it 14-7 after the PAT.

Then, Haason Reddick recovered a fumble by Josh Johnson, who replaced Brock Purdy in the first quarter.

A 3-play, 30-yard drive was aided by a facemask penalty on Dre Greenlaw of the Niners.

Boston Scott then rolled in from 10 yards to make it 21-7 for the home team.

 

Blocking Haason Reddick with non-offensive linemen is a very bad idea

The 49ers keep trying to block Eagles edge-rusher Haason Reddick with tight ends and receivers. They really should stop doing that.

Philadelphia Eagles edge-rusher Haason Reddick came into the NFC Championship game with a career-high 17.5 sacks, including the 1.5 takedowns he had in the Eagles’ 38-7 divisional-round win over the New York Giants. Reddick has been one of the Eagles’ most valuable defenders in the first year of his three-year, $45 million contract, which also makes him one of the NFL’s best bargains.

For whatever reason, early in the championship game, the San Francisco 49ers decided to treat Reddick as some rotational scrub with limited pressure potential. It has not gone well at all. Reddick had two sacks and a forced fumble in the first quarter, and on both of those sacks, San Francisco decided to put either a tight end or wide receiver on Reddick one-on-one.

The first sack, which came with 7:03 left in the first quarter and knocked quarterback Brock Purdy out of the game (at least temporarily) came about in part because Reddick was blocked by tight end Tyler Kroft, who had absolutely no chance.

That should have been a touchdown for defensive tackle Linval Joseph, who recovered what was changed from an incomplete pass to a fumble upon review.

Then, with Josh Johnson in place or Purdy and 4:11 left in the first quarter, the 49ers tried putting receiver Jauan Jennings on Reddick. You can guess how THAT went.

We do not know what 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and his staff were thinking with these particular protections, but if the 49ers have any chance of heading to Super Bowl LVII, San Francisco should endeavor to try and stop Reddick with more conventional methods.

49ers QB Brock Purdy (elbow) out for now, replaced by seven-team veteran Josh Johnson

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is out of the NFC Championship game for now, replaced by veteran Josh Johnson.

The first quarter of the NFC Championship game couldn’t have gone much worse for the San Francisco 49ers. The Philadelphia Eagles scored a touchdown on their opening drive in part after Kyle Shanahan failed to challenge a DeVonta Smith catch that wasn’t. Then, on the 49ers’ opening drive with 7:03 left in that first quarter, the 49ers tried to block Eagles mega-pass-rusher Haason Reddick with a tight end, with predictable results.

The officiating crew, led by referee John Hussey, originally called this an incomplete pass, but after Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni challenged that, it was changed to a fumble call… which meant that defensive tackle Linval Joseph, who recovered the fumble, should have been given a touchdown.

Not that San Francisco was in any better shape after that play. Quarterback Brock Purdy went to the sideline and appeared to tell Shanahan that he couldn’t throw.

So, for their next drive, the 49ers put in backup Josh Johnson, the 13-year veteran who has played with multiple teams throughout his career.

Things weren’t any better for Johnson when he got in there. The 49ers kept blocking Reddick with non-offensive linemen (receiver Jauan Jennings in this case), and that continued to be a problem.

The 49ers had better come up with a smarter plan for Reddick, or they could get blown right out of Lincoln Financial Field.

49ers lose Brock Purdy to elbow injury on lost fumble

The 49ers lost the football via fumble and Brock Purdy to injury

The Philadelphia Eagles were winning on the scoreboard early Sunday at the Linc.

Their coaches were also ahead of the game when it came to decisions.

The 49ers failed to challenge a 29-yard reception by DeVonta Smith that looked like the Eagles receiver lost control of the ball as he hit the ground.

Then, Haaron Reddick, who has been nothing short of a menace to quarterbacks all season, separated the football from Brock Purdy.

The play was first ruled incomplete but Nick Sirianni threw the red challenge flag.

After a review, the officials said Purdy had fumbled the football, and the Eagles’ made a clear recovery.

What was of greater concern is Purdy injured his elbow and was unable to throw the football on the sidelines.

Josh Johnson had to come into the game after Purdy’s first lost fumble.

Johnson defines journeyman as this is his 13th team.

Eagles score TD after 49ers fail to challenge DeVonta Smith’s one-hand grab

A controversial DeVonta Smith catch set up an Eagles TD run

The Philadelphia Eagles gambled early on Sunday and it paid off big time.

Faced with a fourth down in San Francisco territory, Coach Nick Sirianni left his offense on the field.

Jalen Hurts rolled left and targeted DeVonta Smith deep down the sideline.

The Heisman winner from Alabama made a dazzling one-hand catch for 29 yards … or did he

FOX Sports’ Mike Pereira looked at a replay and said that had the 49ers challenged the catch it would have been ruled incomplete as Smith lost control of the football as he hit the ground.

The touchdown came two plays later as Miles Sanders cruised into the end zone from the 6.

 

 

NFC Championship All-22: How the 49ers can beat the Eagles

How can the San Francisco 49ers get past the Philadelphia Eagles and make their second Super Bowl in four years? Doug Farrar has three keys to success.

The last time the Philadelphia Eagles played the San Francisco 49ers, it was Week 2 of the 2021 season, and many things were different. The 49ers won, 17-11. Jimmy Garoppolo was San Francisco’s quarterback. Jalen Hurts was Philadelphia’s quarterback, but nobody was really sure about that yet. Hurts completed 12 of 23 passes for 190 yards and no touchdowns, and he ran the ball 10 times for 82 yards and a touchdown, which perfectly reflected Hurts’ overall skill set at the time. Quez Watkins was Philly’s top receiver (two catches for 117 yards), and Hurts was by far Philly’s leading rusher.

As for the 49ers, Garoppolo completed 22 of 30 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, which is the most Jimmy Garoppolo game you can imagine. Jamycal Hasty was San Francisco’s most explosive runner, and Deebo Samuel was San Francisco’s most productive receiver… so, there’s one thing you might have actually expected.

Now, the Eagles have an MVP candidate in Hurts, who has grown exponentially as both a runner and a passer. They have A.J. Brown and a fully developed DeVonta Smith at receiver. Philly’s run game is an entirely different animal, and their defense has taken great steps forward in the 2022 season.

San Francisco’s defense is now the NFL’s best, and their offense, with the additions of rookie quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey, ranks second in DVOA since Week 10, behind only the Chiefs.

Unlike the AFC Championship game, where the Chiefs and Bengals have all kinds of recent intel to go on (it’ll be their third matchup since last season’s AFC Championship game), this Eagles-49ers tilt should look very different than what we last saw nearly two years ago.

If the 49ers are to get past the Eagles and advance to their second Super Bowl in the last four years, here are three keys to unlocking that door.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Football Outsiders, Sports Info Solutions, and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise indicated). 

NFC Championship All-22: How the Eagles can beat the 49ers

How can the Eagles beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship game and advance to Super Bowl LVII? Doug Farrar details four paths to victory.

The last time the Philadelphia Eagles played the San Francisco 49ers, it was Week 2 of the 2021 season, and many things were different. The 49ers won, 17-11. Jimmy Garoppolo was San Francisco’s quarterback. Jalen Hurts was Philadelphia’s quarterback, but nobody was really sure about that yet. Hurts completed 12 of 23 passes for 190 yards and no touchdowns, and he ran the ball 10 times for 82 yards and a touchdown, which perfectly reflected Hurts’ overall skill set at the time. Quez Watkins was Philly’s top receiver (two catches for 117 yards), and Hurts was by far Philly’s leading rusher.

As for the 49ers, Garoppolo completed 22 of 30 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, which is the most Jimmy Garoppolo game you can imagine. Jamycal Hasty was San Francisco’s most explosive runner, and Deebo Samuel was San Francisco’s most productive receiver… so, there’s one thing you might have actually expected.

Now, the Eagles have an MVP candidate in Hurts, who has grown exponentially as both a runner and a passer. They have A.J. Brown and a fully developed DeVonta Smith at receiver. Philly’s run game is an entirely different animal, and their defense has taken great steps forward in the 2022 season.

San Francisco’s defense is now the NFL’s best, and their offense, with the additions of rookie quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey, ranks second in DVOA since Week 10, behind only the Chiefs.

Unlike the AFC Championship game, where the Chiefs and Bengals have all kinds of recent intel to go on (it’ll be their third matchup since last season’s AFC Championship game), this Eagles-49ers tilt should look very different than what we last saw nearly two years ago.

If the Eagles are to avenge that 2021 loss and move to Super Bowl LVII, here are four things they’ll have to do.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Football Outsiders, Sports Info Solutions, and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise indicated).