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).