Dec 3, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) throws the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Bill Streicher
The NFL playoffs are finally here.
From here on out, the only thing that matters is winning. It doesn't matter how you do it. It doesn't matter how many yards you gain, or how many points you score (as long as you score more than the other team).
The No. 3 seed Philadelphia Eagles will host the No. 6 seed San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday to play a Wild Card game. The 49ers are banged up across the board, but their offense has been explosive. The Eagles are healthy, and their offense has been anything but explosive.
The NFC East champion Eagles are 6-point favorites to defeat the 49ers, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Here's what our staff thinks will happen.
Anthony SanFilippo (7-10)
Score: Eagles 27 - 49ers 23
Game MVP: Rest
The 49ers have a prolific offense. The Eagles have a prolific defense. The 49ers have a suspect defense. The Eagles have a suspect offense. Should be an intriguing matchup. Except for one thing – the 49ers played three games in a span of 13 days to end the season, got a bunch of guys hurt, and are limping into this matchup with the Birds. Meanwhile, the Eagles gave all of their important players the equivalent of a bye week, and have two key players – Lane Johnson and Nakobe Dean – returning to the lineup to face San Francisco. It's that rest that will be the edge the Eagles need to beat a team that many may be looking past just a little bit.
This will still be a close game. Kyle Shanahan is incredibly innovative offensively and will find ways to have his team put up some points on the Eagles. But their defense is in shambles, and Saquon Barkley should have a field day running the ball on the Niners. Jalen Hurts should have a big game too, and his defenders will be out en masse after the Eagles win this one, because Jalen should be able to both run on San Fran and throw the ball – especially to Dallas Goedert, because the 49ers are down to their fourth and fifth string linebackers and get next to no pressure on quarterbacks.
Hurts will throw for one and run for one, Barkley will get one and Jake Elliott will kick two field goals. That'll be more than enough to get past one NFC West team, but not sure how many more they can beat. Eagles fans should root for the Bears against the Packers, because the Eagles don't want to have to face the Rams again, at least not until the NFC Championship game.
Grace Del Pizzo (8-9)
Score: Eagles 28 - 49ers 22
Game MVP: Dallas Goedert
The 2025 49ers defense is the Ship of Theseus. If all the parts of the ship are replaced over time, is it still the same ship? And if all the players on defense are injured... is it still the same defense?
Of the 11 defensive players who started for the Niners in Week 1, just five are guaranteed to be active on Sunday. DE Nick Bosa, DE Mykel Williams and LB Fred Warner are all on IR. LB Dee Winters, LB Luke Gifford and CB Renardo Green are questionable. The Niners could be forced to start two linebackers who weren't on the roster prior to Week 12.
That being said, there's a big opportunity here for Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts (and Kevin Patullo, I guess, if he wants to show up). San Francisco doesn't have any linebackers. That should completely open up the middle of the field for Dallas Goedert to go off, especially in the red zone, where he already excels.
The mental matchup I'm most intrigued to watch is Vic Fangio vs. Kyle Shanahan. Fangio is one of the best defensive minds in the NFL, and Shanahan's calling card is his creativity on offense. I can't wait to see what they draw up for each other. The game will be exciting when those two units are on the field.
It probably won't be as exciting to watch the Eagles offense vs. the 49ers defense, but Hurts is excellent when he isn't pressured, and the 49ers pass rush is one of the worst in the league. If Hurts has time to throw – and he should – he'll make things happen.
Tim Kelly (9-8)
Score: Eagles 21 - 49ers 17
Game MVP: Jaelan Phillips
If the 49ers offense is clicking like it was two weeks ago when they hung 42 on the Bears, the Eagles are in trouble.
But the 49ers have so many injuries, and they aren't playing the Bears defense this week. The Seahawks limited them to three points last week, and while it may not be a repeat performance, Vic Fangio will put together a good enough gameplan for the Eagles to advance.
I continue to have reservations about whether the Eagles offense is capable of competing if they get in a game where they need 30+ points to win. But I don't think this week will be when that test comes.
