The offense woke up in the second quarter
The Niners defense did their job on the third possession by forcing a three-and-out. They had zero rest but still found a way to get off the field. But could the 49ers offense respond?
Yes.
Brandon Aiyuk caught a pass for 12 yards. Deebo Samuel, on 3rd & 1, caught a pass for 13 yards. Then, George Kittle rook a clever design for 32 yards. After an offside penalty on third down, Shanahan called a play-action pass that required Aiyuk to make a diving catch in the end zone, and he did.
The defense had an opportunity to get off the field on 3rd & 19, but Ji’Ayir Brown missed his second critical tackle of the day.
It was evident that the 49ers were going to rush Jalen Hurts under control, a mush rush, if you will. If the Eagles were going to march down the field, it would take missed tackling. Ambry Thomas broke up a pass deep, and the coverage held up on third down to force another punt.
The 49ers offense would keep it rolling on their ensuing drive. Kittle caught a 25-yarder, then Aiyuk for 13. Sandwich a McCaffrey run of nine and seven in between and that’s how you have a 1st & goal from the four-yard line. McCaffrey ended up scoring with 38 seconds to play, giving the Niners a 14-6 halftime lead.
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