Last year’s NFC Championship has loomed large in Santa Clara. When the schedule came out, everyone circled this game. It doesn’t matter that the Eagles played their third game in 13 days. It doesn’t matter that they are 10 – 1. It doesn’t matter that no one can stop the tush push . It only matters that the 49ers had a game to play and that the Eagles were in the way.
Brock Purdy has arrived. Last year’s NFC loss due to his injury is finally behind him. It’s over. Now, the season can really begin. It helps that the 49ers are 9-3. It helps that the 49ers are as healthy as they have ever been at this stage of the season. Despite losing Talanoa Hufanga weeks ago, the secondary hasn’t missed a beat. The 49ers season starts now. Their march to the playoffs began with this victory. The 49ers dominance over the Eagles showed the team they can play in an extremely adverse environment and win convincingly. Until today, the Eagles were the best team in football. The 49ers proved the doubters wrong. Time to finish it out.
The first quarter gave the 49ers fandom anxiety. The offense acquired -6 yards and went three and out twice. Meanwhile the defense gave up two long drives, but managed to force two field goals. The offense performed abysmally. The Eagles spent six downs over two possessions living in the 49er’s backfield. However, things changed after the 49ers forced the Eagles to punt early in the second quarter.
The 49ers possession started frustratingly familiar with the Eagles defensive line tackling Christian McCaffrey behind the line of scrimmage. Then Spencer Burford committed a false start. It looked like we were staring down another punt. Then, Purdy finds Brandon Aiyuk on a simple out route. On 3rd and 3, the Eagles forced Purdy to go thru his progressions, but he found George Kittle across the field just beyond the line to gain. The 49ers finally gained a first down and they never looked back, winning the game 42 to 19.
The 49ers went on six straight scoring drives. The first touchdown was a throw to Aiyuk who was running at the back of the endzone and dove to snag the ball for the 49ers first touchdown of the game. With 4:37 left in the half, the 49ers executed a masterful touchdown drive, milking the clock down to 38 seconds on the clock while forcing the Eagles to use their remaining timeouts. Christian McCaffrey secured the touchdown on a 2nd and goal when he followed the blocks thrown by Trent Williams into the endzone.
Deebo Samuels collected three touchdowns today. His first came during the 49er’s initial possession in the 2nd half. After McCaffrey exploded for 32 yards off a wheel route reception the 49ers were in business on the Eagles 12-yard line. Purdy faked to ElijahMitchell. Then Purdy pitched to Deebo on an end around and he found pay dirt to put the 49ers up 21 to 6.
The Eagles thought they stole some momentum back after Dre Greenlaw was ejected from the game after slamming Devonta Smith to the ground, and then sticking his fist in the face of the Eagles head of security, Dom DiSandro. After the play was over, Greenlaw was immediately confronted by Eagles players. DiSandro inserted himself sticking his hand in Greenlaw’s chest prompting a response. Both men were ejected from the game and the Eagles went on to score a touchdown via the brotherly shove.
The 49ers arrived during the next drive. Purdy suffered his second sack of the game at the hands of Fletcher Cox to start the drive. Brock wasn’t fazed. He fired 4 complete passes in a row to end the drive. The fourth pass caught Deebo in stride as he was coming across the middle. Deebo shook off a would-be tackler, turned up field and ran into the endzone to complete a 48-yard touchdown play. It was classic, vintage Deebo.
Brock Purdy had two more touchdown passes in him. Early in the fourth quarter, the 49ers were on Philly’s 18 yard-line. Jauan Jennings lined up in the slot. He ran a deep out route. Jennings caught Purdy’s laser shot, turned and shoved a defender to the ground with one hand as he ran into the endzone. It was one of the most physical touchdowns catches I have seen in a while. The last touchdown pass Deebo caught came off a wide receiver screen. It was second and nine, just beyond the mid field, and Deebo caught the ball, followed his blockers and then burst thru the scrum running 46 yards for a touchdown.
Steve Wilks called a masterful game on defense. The coverages flummoxed Jalen Hurts. He was consistently pressured because his first and second looks were always covered. Hurts was forced to create and hope a wide receiver would come open. While this strategy worked some of the time, it was not a winning strategy. While Nick Bosa and his follow ends chased Hurts all over the field, Javon Kinlaw and Kalia Davis cleaned up collecting three sacks. Hurts was pressured more times than I could count. Meanwhile Charvarius Ward defended A.J. Brown twice in the endzone preventing him from scoring. Ambry Thomas also prevented an Eagles score with a 3rd and goal tip away. Though the 49ers big names didn’t make splash plays, they played their part and the defense as a whole performed very well. It was a well-executed masterful plan.
49ers returned to the scene of their devastating end to last year’s season and came away with a massive victory. All three phases of the game worked well together. This was a team win. Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel all racked up significant stats. However, their stats are a product of the hard work that they and the rest of the team put in every week in preparation for the game day. The 49ers executed well against one of the very best teams in the league. They need to keep executing all the way to the Lombardi Trophy.
