Two teams remain in the NFC and it’s the battle of heavyweights between the 49ers and the Eagles. San Francisco’s defense showed up to win against Dallas while Philadelphia empathically crushed the Giants. It’s easily the best playoff matchup in the NFC and this game could definitely be one of this year’s best.
Once again, the 49ers have proven they can play any type of game the opponent throws at them. They scored 41 points against the Seahawks and then followed that up by winning 19-12 in a strong defensive showing. I mean like, how do you beat this team? As good as the 49ers defense is, they’re going to have to score a lot of points. Philadelphia put on a clinic in all areas of last week’s game and showed how good they really can be. They put up a rushing clinic that just tore apart New York’s defense. The versatility of Jalen Hurts will be tricky for DeMeco Ryans outstanding defense and it’ll be tight. I feel like Christian McCaffery will have to be more involved for the Niners. He put up 57 yards over 16 touches last week and that is simply not good enough for this team. I want to see more screens, more short passes, and more runs from McCaffery and the offense because he is a big factor. He and Kittle should be more involved because I don’t think that Purdy will get a lot of time in the pocket. The Eagles defensive line is just so strong and are so quick to get to the quarterback. This is a winnable game for San Francisco and it’s a big chance to head back to the Super Bowl.
I was completely taken away by the Eagles in their Divisional Round performance. They sucked all the energy out of a Giants team that was roaring with confidence. The run game just completely exploded and racked up 268 rushing yards. They never looked shaken up and just handled the game to perfection. Some key stats from this game are that the Eagles were 10/14 on 3rd down and also sacked Daniel Jones 5 times + 1 interception. They were so efficient on 3rd down and just kept the ball away from Jones & Co. Additionally, the Eagles defense just shut down the Giants offense. Jones was not able to run much and had so less time to do anything. The 1st half was dominant and they look like a really tough team to beat in the Conference Championship.
My prediction for this game is that the San Francisco 49ers will win 31-30 against Philly. It just seems like no big moment can faze rookie Brock Purdy and the Niners which will lead them to the Super Bowl in Arizona. The 49ers adapt so well and can simply do what is necessary. When I look at this team, I see confident players who are all playing terrific currently. The Eagles have also been playing superb but to me, the 49ers have been playing the best in the NFL. Both these teams are counterparts of each other and this is such a well matched game. It could go either way and I don’t see a clear favorite in this one but my pick is that the 49ers will win. This game is viewable on FOX at 3:00 PM.
The NFC’s top teams battle it out at Lincoln Financial Field on a Sunday afternoon. Can Brock Purdy lead his team to the Super Bowl or will the Philadelphia Eagles fly and beat the San Francisco 49ers? We’ll find out on Conference Championship Sunday soon enough.
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