We’re finally here. The San Francisco 49ers first postseason game comes against the reigning Super Bowl champions. Now that it’s the playoffs, the assumption is that Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and the Philadelphia Eagles will revert back to who they were last January, despite what they’ve shown during the 2025 regular season.
Hurts and company have played the fifth-easiest slate of defenses this season. Conversely, the 49ers defensive strength of schedule is 14th. Robert Saleh has that, Hurts variance, the clunkiness of the Eagles offense, and no Lane Johnson working in his favor.
Can the 49ers take advantage? Can they rise to the occassion and muck this up enough to keep the offense in it? They did against a better offense in Week 18. Philadelphia has the star power but lacks the execution.
The Eagles are excellent defensively. They’ve played the fourth-toughest slate of offenses. They held the Lions to nine points, the Packers to seven, the Bills to 12. It’s a stingy unit with talent at every level.
Some fans want to see Christian McCaffrey split out as a wide reeiver, but his advantage is in the backfield, not against Cooper DeJean. The way you beat players like DeJean is by making them turn and run, not on the types of option routes McCaffrey runs.
We’ve seen how mobility and athleticism makes a difference at quarterback early on in these playoffs. Brock Purdy creating with his legs out of structure and buying time for the receivers with his legs will be imperative for the 49ers success. The quarterback that makes the most off-script plays today will win.
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About the Author: Insidethe49
