December 01, 2023
The game that's been circled for months is finally here.
The Eagles and 49ers will get their NFC Championship rematch this Sunday at the Linc, all after months of talk and 'what ifs' on San Francisco's part following the initial 31-7 thrashing that sent the Eagles cruising to the Super Bowl.
Brock Purdy is healthy now and the 49ers have been a conference juggernaut at 8-3, while Jalen Hurts has orchestrated comeback after comeback to put together a strong MVP case and have the Eagles at an NFL-best 10-1.
Sportsbooks have San Francisco as the favorite going into this one, but here are our thoughts and predictions:
TV: FOX (Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi)
RADIO: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick)
| Sportsbook | Spread | Money Line | Total O/U |
| DraftKings | SF -3 | SF -155 PHI +130 | 46.5 |
| FanDuel | SF -3 | SF -146 PHI +124 | 46.5 |
| BetMGM | SF -2.5 | SF -150 PHI +125 | 46.5 |
| UniBet | SF -2.5 | SF -148 PHI +122 | 46.5 |
| PointsBet | SF -2.5 | SF -160 PHI +130 | 46.5 |
The 49ers and Eagles both have dangerous rushing attacks, but they have success on the ground in different ways. The Niners rely extremely heavily on Christian McCaffrey, who is on pace for a whopping 372 touches this season. The Eagles do it more by committee, with their quarterback chipping in, and, of course, they're unstoppable on 3rd/4th and 1.
Both teams are also very good at stopping the run. The Niners rank 2nd in run defense; the Eagles rank 3rd. Both of these teams reliably outgain their opponents on the ground. The Niners have outgained their opponents by 594 rushing yards so far this season; the Eagles have outgained theirs by 528. Whoever can be more physical in the trenches and win the ground game will be in a good position to win this game. #Analysis.
It's the passing game matchups that are a little more fun to parse.
Both teams have outstanding skill position players. The 49ers have Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and McCaffrey, all of whom gobble up yards after the catch. The Eagles have a pair of elite outside receivers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. To be determined if Dallas Goedert will be available.
Both teams also have elite pass rushing units. The Niners have Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Javon Hargrave, and Arik Armstead. The Eagles have Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Jalen Carter, and Brandon Graham. We'll see if Fletcher Cox will be available.
But in my view, there is a wide gap between these two teams in offensive line talent. The Eagles have arguably the best offensive line in the NFL, while the Niners have one star player (Trent Williams) and a collection of below-average starters otherwise.
The Eagles are 10-1, they've beaten three straight quality opponents, and they have proven that they can win games in a wide variety of ways. Somehow, they are 3-point underdogs, at home, where Jalen Hurts has a 10-game winning streak. Give me the Birds.
The Eagles have more talent and home-field advantage in this one, but after crunching the numbers all week, the Niners are favored for a reason and the Eagles' lucky winning ways are going to catch up with them. From a big picture perspective, their game next week against the Cowboys is the more important one, so perhaps a loss in a big game like this can help prepare them and toughen them for the stretch run in December.
Wouldn’t it be hilarious if that was the score again after all of the crybaby meltdowns during the entire offseason?
Sticking with the running theme, though I do think the 49ers are going to hit a wall with this one too.
Awful first half for both teams, but San Francisco manages to leave it slightly in the lead.
Then Hurts and the offense come back out and somehow ring off two or three scoring drives to pull ahead, the whole thing comes down to the wire (again) and it's the worst game ever (again).
But the Eagles win (again), and the levels of salt from the 49ers reach critical mass.
This is the biggest game of the year for the Philadelphia Eagles, make no mistake. It’s a regular season defining win if they can hold off the hot Niners on Sunday. It would normally be the easiest fade of the year for Philly. They come off an exhausting game in OT against Buffalo and have Dallas the following week. But, but, but, the Niners ran their mouths all day following the loss in the NFC Championship, right through the offseason, right through this week. It made this game so much more. San Fran has tried their best, media and fans included, to diminish the run of last year’s Eagles team.
They called it a fluke or luck or any other BS. This year should be enough to prove them wrong, but not if the Eagles lose. If there was ever a game this year that would allow valid cracks in the argument of just how good the Eagles are, it’s losing to the Niners. Philly has a massive chip on their shoulder and the revenge factor for the Niners is now nullified, mainly because the Niners players can’t shut up. Eagles win.
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