PREVIEW – Playoffs (WILD CARD): Three Keys to a Eagles Victory Over San Francisco
The Philadelphia Eagles enter the Wild Card weekend of the playoffs against the “walking wounded” San Francisco 49ers.
San Fran has had a multitude of injuries, especially to key players on defense like All-Pro pass rusher Nick Bosa and the captain of their defense, Middle Linebacker Fred Warner.
Those two game changers have been out for multiple weeks now, but the 49ers have dealt with and are still dealing with injuries on offense, as well as with guys like Pro Bowl Tackle Trent Williams and the young up-and-coming WR Ricky Pearsall.
Trent Williams makes a huge difference when it comes to wins for San Francisco. Since 2020, the 49ers have won 61 of 93 games with him on the field and have lost 13 of 17 games with him sidelined. Williams missed practice on Wednesday, was limited on Thursday and Friday, so he is questionable for Sunday. I personally think Williams will try to go, but might not last the whole game, given the relentless pass rush of the Eagles. Ricky Pearsall is in his second year, but is a starting WR who opens things up underneath for RB Christian McCaffrey, catching the ball out of the backfield and over the middle for TE George Kittle, with Ricky’s ability to stretch the field with his speed. Pearsall has not been able to practice all week, yet the 49ers listed him as questionable when I believe he’s more in the doubtful category and is unlikely to play vs Philly.
So, outside of the Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers (who the Eagles have owned the last couple of years), the 49ers are the best matchup for Philadelphia to win against and advance to the Divisional Round.
Key 1 // Establish The Run
Last Saturday, the Seattle Seahawks just gave Philadelphia a blueprint for beating the 49ers. In a game that not only decided who would win the NFC West, but who would obtain the overall #1 seed in the NFC (getting a 1st round playoff bye in the process) Seattle controlled the clock with the run game and dominated SF in time of possession 37:48 to 22:12. Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III had 16 carries for 97 yards (6.1 average) and 4 catches for 36 yards(9 yard average). RB Zach Charbonnet had 17 carries for 74 yards (4.4 average) and 3 catches for 23 yards(7.7 average). Passing to backs out of the backfield by design or on a check down is an extension of the running game and something that Philly is capable of doing with Barkley and Bigsby.
Barkley has come on as of late, and Bigby has shown that he can contribute as well. They both have burst, power, athleticism, and elusiveness, which could cause major headaches for San Fran’s depleted defense. Getting Jalen Hurts involved in the run game will benefit the Eagles’ offense immensely. If SF has to account for Hurts as a runner, lanes will open up for the running game, and then the Eagles can run some play-action passes with ease.
This will all depend on OC Kevin Patullo’s play-calling.
The Eagles have to avoid 3-and-outs on offense (something that has plagued this team all season), run long, methodical drives, limit the 49ers’ offensive possessions, and turn guys like QB Purdy, TE Kittle, WR Jennings, and RB McCaffrey into spectators. Red zone efficiency for the offense(a strength for Philly this year) and the defense will be a major factor in South Philly on Sunday.
Key 2 // Red Zone Defense
Even if the 49ers are without guys like OT Trent Williams and WR Ricky Pearsall, I expect San Fran to get into the red zone vs Philly. I expect SF Head Coach Kyle Shanahan to be pissed off about last weekend’s poor offensive performance, to have a strong game plan installed, and to have his healthy players ready for what will be a physical brawl come Sunday. Shanahan has great respect for Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio and tried to hire Vic to his staff (which was blocked by Chicago at the time).
Fangio, too, has tons of respect for Kyle as a Coach, knows his offense and what he likes to run, and has had success against Shanahan in the past. Fangio is a defensive mastermind, and his forte is bend but don’t break. Vic has a healthy defense that will be missing only one starter, Andrew Makuba. Makuba has been out since breaking his leg vs Dallas earlier this year. S Marcus Epps has filled in very nicely for the first-year rookie. So, it will be very beneficial for the Eagles to force the 49ers to field goal attempts when they get inside the 20-yard line. Forcing SF to go for 3 instead of 6 will obviously reduce the amount of points they score, but it will also entice Shanahan to be aggressive late in the game on 4th down.
4th-down stops have been one of the things Fangio’s defense has excelled at in 2025. Earlier this season, Philly shut down the Lions 5 out of 5 times on 4th down, which is not easy to do vs. Jared Goff and company. Someone who has had a good amount of red zone success in his career and who continues to play at his best when the stakes are at their highest is one Jalen Alexander Hurts.
Key 3 // Jalen Hurts Must Continue His Big-Time Playoff Play
Jalen Hurts is a great leader who doesn’t often buckle under pressure. The Philadelphia Eagles will be playing at home on Sunday afternoon, which is a significant advantage for them, not just because they will be playing in front of a ferocious home crowd. Since becoming a full-time starting Quarterback, Jalen Hurts is an astounding 5-0 when he plays in South Philly in the Playoffs. In 2021, the Eagles lost to the Bucs in Tampa Bay, where Jalen was 23-43 with a completion percentage(PCT) of 53.5%, 258 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. That game was early in his career, before WR AJ Brown was traded from Tennessee. In 2022, Hurts led Philly to the Super Bowl, and in 3 games, he was 58-87 with a PCT of 66.7%, averaging 193 yards per game, with 3 TDs and 0 INTs. The Eagles lost by 3 points to KC in the Super Bowl. Hurts was the best player on the field that day.
The 2023 Eagles limped into the postseason big time, had to go to Tampa once again(and lost), yet Jalen still played pretty well. In that solo game, Hurts posted a PCT of 71.4%, going 25-35 for 250 yards, with 1 TD and 0 picks. Last season (24′) was Hurts best year to date when it comes to wins when it matters most. In 4 games, Jalen was 65-91 with a PCT of 71.4, throwing for 726 yards, 5 TD’s, and only 1 INT. He once again led the Eagles to the Super Bowl, but this time, he helped ensure a different outcome: the Eagles became Champions, and Hurts was named the MVP.
As you can see, Jalen Hurts has continued to improve year by year in the postseason. In his playoff career, Hurts has a passer rating of 95.4% with 1,813 yards,10 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in 9 total games.
If Hurts can continue his playoff success, the Eagles will not only defeat the San Francisco 49ers but will also be right there in the running to repeat as Champions of the NFL.
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