Eagles Face 49ers in the Playoffs: What to Expect When Philly Has the Ball
The Philadelphia Eagles are set to face the San Francisco 49ers in their Wild Card Round matchup, a team they did not play this season but have a notable history with. With the Niners suffering from key injuries, including four linebackers, it's essential for the Eagles to exploit these vulnerabilities.
First and foremost, the Niners' lack of depth at linebacker is a significant concern. The team will be relying on Eric Kendricks, a 33-year-old veteran who has only played in three games this season, making his start a concerning one. The Eagles can try to force Kendricks to make defensive calls on the fly and communicate them to the rest of the defense, potentially creating confusion and missed tackles.
The Niners' pass rush is another area where the Eagles can gain an advantage. With a league-low 20 sacks this season, San Francisco's inability to generate pressure could lead to extended playtime for Jalen Hurts in the pocket. The team will need to make positive plays on first down to disrupt Kendricks and create opportunities for sack attempts.
The Niners' run defense is also expected to be vulnerable after a disastrous Week 18 performance, where they struggled with tackling and allowed Seattle's Kenneth Walker to gain a first down on third and 17. The Eagles can look to exploit this weakness by getting their backs into the game and finding creases to attack.
With the Niners' corners deemed small, A.J. Brown could have opportunities to outmuscle them in after-catch situations, particularly against Deommodore Lenoir. Meanwhile, DeVonta Smith may be able to outmaneuver Renardo Green and Upton Stout on 50-50 balls.
Ultimately, the Eagles need to find something that works for their offense and establish a clear identity before the season is over. Despite being a tough team to watch at times this season, there are opportunities for them to take advantage of the Niners' weaknesses. If they can create some chaos on the field, particularly in the passing game, they may be able to secure a crucial victory and gain momentum heading into the postseason.
The Philadelphia Eagles are set to face the San Francisco 49ers in their Wild Card Round matchup, a team they did not play this season but have a notable history with. With the Niners suffering from key injuries, including four linebackers, it's essential for the Eagles to exploit these vulnerabilities.
First and foremost, the Niners' lack of depth at linebacker is a significant concern. The team will be relying on Eric Kendricks, a 33-year-old veteran who has only played in three games this season, making his start a concerning one. The Eagles can try to force Kendricks to make defensive calls on the fly and communicate them to the rest of the defense, potentially creating confusion and missed tackles.
The Niners' pass rush is another area where the Eagles can gain an advantage. With a league-low 20 sacks this season, San Francisco's inability to generate pressure could lead to extended playtime for Jalen Hurts in the pocket. The team will need to make positive plays on first down to disrupt Kendricks and create opportunities for sack attempts.
The Niners' run defense is also expected to be vulnerable after a disastrous Week 18 performance, where they struggled with tackling and allowed Seattle's Kenneth Walker to gain a first down on third and 17. The Eagles can look to exploit this weakness by getting their backs into the game and finding creases to attack.
With the Niners' corners deemed small, A.J. Brown could have opportunities to outmuscle them in after-catch situations, particularly against Deommodore Lenoir. Meanwhile, DeVonta Smith may be able to outmaneuver Renardo Green and Upton Stout on 50-50 balls.
Ultimately, the Eagles need to find something that works for their offense and establish a clear identity before the season is over. Despite being a tough team to watch at times this season, there are opportunities for them to take advantage of the Niners' weaknesses. If they can create some chaos on the field, particularly in the passing game, they may be able to secure a crucial victory and gain momentum heading into the postseason.
. The Eagles have been struggling to find their rhythm all season, but if they can exploit those Niners weaknesses, I think they got a good shot at takin' it to them 
. Kendricks lookin' shaky, pass rush is non-existent... give me an Eagles offense with Jalen Hurts slingshot and A.J. Brown makin' plays 
. DeVonta Smith is gonna love gettin' out there on 50-50 balls against those small corners 
. If Philly can just find their groove and play some smart, they might be able to pull off the upset 
.
this is gonna be a wild one 
eagles need to capitalize on those 49ers injuries 
, especially Kendricks... i mean come on 33 and only played in 3 games? 
, it's all over for Philly 
. but seriously, eagles need to find a rhythm on offense, exploit those 49ers' weaknesses and make some noise 
. Kendricks is an old dude and he's gonna fall apart under pressure. And don't even get me started on Hurts getting sacked all day because of the lack of pass rush 
. The Niners are just begging to be exploited, it's like they're asking for a beatdown 
. This is gonna be a disaster...
And what's up with Jalen Hurts being the clear starter? Dude's been having some rough games lately... maybe it's time for a change of pace? 
DeVonta Smith is gonna make some magic happen too. The key for Philly is to just play smart and not try too hard to be fancy. They've got the talent, now let's see them execute 
. Four linebackers down is huge for them, especially with Kendricks starting. The Eagles need to take advantage of that and just keep getting pressure on the QB. I think Jalen Hurts can do that well enough - he's shown his skills when he needs to step up 
. Just gotta play smart and not turn the ball over, and I think Philly's got this 
i mean seriously though, kendricks is old news, eric's gotta step up or he's done for the season. but if eagles can keep jalen hurts upright in that pocket, they're golden 
! Eagles vs 49ers is always an intense one and now with those injuries to the Niners' linebackers I think Philly's got a good shot at causing some problems 
. But we gotta see how Jalen Hurts performs under pressure... his safety will be crucial in this one 
️. The Niners' lack of depth on D is a big concern, I love how the article mentions trying to get Kendricks to make calls on the fly - that could create some massive turnovers 
. A.J. Brown vs those 49ers corners is gonna be GOLDEN 
. They're really thin at linebacker right now, so I'm expecting Philly's offense to do some damage. The Eagles' run game is strong and they can take advantage of San Fran's struggles in that department. Jalen Hurts can make plays outside of the pocket too, especially if the Niners can't get any pressure on him 
.