Sunday afternoon rekindles one of the most interesting new rivalries in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles clashed in the 2022 NFC Championship game, in which the 49ers unfortunately
ran out of quarterbacks. The trash talk escalated all offseason, with barbs being thrown by CJ Gardner-Johnson and Deebo Samuel. Talk is cheap, but the 49ers backed up their talk with a convincing regular-season win in 2023 in Philadelphia. While it didn’t earn the 49ers the NFC title, it was a satisfying victory for a team with a bad taste in their mouth following the loss before the Super Bowl.
Now, the two teams meet again on Sunday on Wild Card weekend, and it has the makings of one of, if not the most interesting, matchups of the weekend. On the one hand, the 49ers are coming off a loss to Seattle for the number one seed in the NFC and are looking to put that game behind them with eyes on a deep playoff run. In Philadelphia’s case, the much-maligned Eagles offense is looking to quiet the noise around their disappointing 2025 campaign. Vic Fangio’s defense has been anything but disappointing, and that is where the matchup begins for both sides.
Here are three things to watch for on Sunday:
The 49ers’ deep passing attack
As I write this, Ricky Pearsall hasn’t practiced all week, and his absence won’t be easy for the 49ers to navigate against the Eagles. Seattle’s defense feared nothing downfield on Saturday and squeezed the field. Similarly, the Eagles’ defense is stout on short (-0.16 EPA, 2nd) and intermediate (0.23, 7th) throws. The 49ers’ passing attack has much to do with the stress caused by a downfield threat or someone who can separate from man coverage independently to create open throws in the intermediate.
The Eagles have faced the fifth-highest deep throw rate in the NFL at 13.7%. The secondary has fared well on deep throws with an EPA of 0.32, which is good for 13th, but the idea of throwing deep on Philadelphia is to attack cornerback Adoree Jackson. Brock Purdy has thrown 35 passes over 20-plus air yards and ranks number one in success rate in the NFL.
The question becomes: who can get downfield, and can the 49ers’ offensive line hold up against the Eagles’ formidable offensive line?
The 49ers’ running game
In any game, a team can’t become one-dimensional. This game in particular will need the 49ers’ rushing attack to be efficient, keep the offense on schedule, and force the Eagles to be aware of the run with the threat of throwing from any down. Yes, Jordan Davis is an excellent run defender. However, the Eagles’ defense has been closer to league average in 2025.
The running game plan should consist of more inside runs as the Eagles struggle defending them with an EPA of -0.07, which is good for 16th in the NFL. While the 49ers are ranked 20th in inside run percentage (52.5%), they rank ninth in the NFL with an EPA of -0.02. A running game plan similar to what Kyle Shanahan put together against Atlanta might be the key.
The Eagles’ passing attack
Let’s face facts. Jalen Hurts hasn’t been good at throwing the football this season. Part of it is his limited skillset with progressions, timing of throws, and the curious route concepts called by Kevin Patullo. The Eagles’ receivers have been relegated to running nothing but hitch/curl routes with 21% of A.J. Brown’s targets, 30% of Devonta Smith’s targets, and 20% of Dallas Goedert’s targets coming on hitches and curls.
The concern is that Hurts excels as a passer with deeper throws and fades. The Eagles push the ball downfield at the fourth-highest rate at 14.3% and own the seventh-highest EPA on deep throws at 0.71. The real bad news? The 49ers defense is 29th (!) in the EPA defending deep throws at 0.79. Limiting downfield explosive throws will be the biggest test for the 49ers’ secondary. The 49ers will have to play their most disciplined game of the season in coverage.
