It’s only fitting that the NFC's best team all year will clash with its hottest team over the past three weeks for the conference championship. Eagles-Niners expectations? Our experts weigh in on all the storylines ahead of Sunday's matchup.
covering safety, while Gardner-Johnson goes back to safety in the base defense. Given the relative uncertainty there, and the Niners’ offensive emphasis on using the middle of the field, the one person we know is going to see plenty of work is
, who has emerged as a quality player in his first full season as a starter. If the Eagles are going to bait Purdy into an interception, I can see Epps being the one around the ball.The Eagles must play with an early lead to win this game. If they can take a lead into halftime, then it forces Purdy to become a dropback quarterback and the Eagles’ pass rushers — with a league-leading 70 sacks in the regular season — could pin their ears back and focus on the rush.
Conversely, if the 49ers keep early points off the board and mirror their game against the Cowboys, it doesn’t play in the Eagles’ favor and would give San Francisco the advantage.The 49ers led the league in turnover differential in the regular season, and they could use the sort of gifts Prescott offered them — over and over — in the divisional round. The 49ers’ defense is best when the opponent becomes one-dimensional, and a takeaway or two might put the Eagles in catch-up mode.
But ultimately, the 49ers will need a complementary effort. They must parlay potential defensive success into a downhill offensive attack. That means running the football against the Eagles’ run defense, which ranks No. 21 by DVOA. That will only be possible for the 49ers if their defense keeps Philadelphia’s offense in check and if Purdy and the passing attack gain sufficient offensive balance through the air for San Francisco’s run game to exploit the Eagles’ biggest weakness.
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