The Philadelphia Eagles will start their quest for another Super Bowl on Sunday when they host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card round at Lincoln Financial Field.
The No. 3 seed Eagles (11-6) are 4.5-point favorites against the No. 6 seed 49ers (12-5), according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Here are the five keys to an Eagles win over the 49ers in the opening round of the playoffs.
Move the chains: This sounds reductive, but it’s that simple for the Eagles’ offense. Time and time again this season, Kevin Patullo’s unit has lacked rhythm, found itself in third-and-long situations and gone three-and-out as a result. The Eagles’ 37.1% third-down conversion rate is the second-worst among playoff teams, behind only the Carolina Panthers (36.1%).
Force a mistake: Brock Purdy has been electric since returning from injury in Week 11. But his 3.5% interception rate (10 INTs on 284 attempts) is the highest of his career and the highest of any QB in the postseason. Since 2021, the Eagles are 42-3 in the regular season when they win the turnover margin, the second-best mark behind the 49ers (35-1). This game could come down to the Eagles picking off Purdy — and making San Francisco pay.
Finish off drives: It’s been a struggle in the open field, so to speak. But the Eagles have been the best red-zone team in the NFL with a 70.5% TD conversion rate. Despite earning criticism all year long for the overall product, Patullo has been a red-zone maestro, getting tight end Dallas Goedert involved and doing so in creative ways. Can’t settle for field goals in this one.
Get Saquon rolling: Without Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and more, San Fran’s injured defense is gettable on the ground. The 49ers allowed 143.6 rushing yards per game in their five losses. In their Week 18 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks that decided the No. 1 seed, they got trampled for 180 rushing yards. Barkley was the engine that drove the Eagles to the Super Bowl last year. If that’s going to happen again, this should be an opportunity to get off on the right foot.
Corral CMC: There’s an obvious correlation between Christian McCaffrey’s impact and whether or not the 49ers win. In their 12 wins, he averaged 85.1 rushing yards and 137.8 scrimmage yards per game. In their five losses, he averaged 36.2 rushing yards and 94.6 from scrimmage. McCaffrey is going to get the ball; he has the second-most rushes (311) and sixth-most receptions (102) in the NFL. But if the Eagles limit CMC’s damage, they should win.
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