"“Yeah, we just didn't make the plays. I think competitively; everyone on our team has a great desire to win, to achieve the ultimate goal.”"
PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Defending Champions from Philadelphia are eliminated, allowing many teams in this year's Super Bowl Playoff to breathe a sigh of relief. The San Francisco 49ers, led by Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey at the helm, stood firm and stood up to the Eagles in a close 23-19 victory.
The 49ers are set to play the No. 1 ranked Seattle Seahawks in the division round. The last time the Philadelphia Eagles were knocked out in the Wild Card was in 2024, being defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
49ers Having Something To Prove
Christian McCaffrey had a monster game offensively, rushing for 48 yards in 15 rushes. His receiving game was also on point, catching the ball 6 separate times, then running for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns. Demarcus Robinson also displayed tons of fight, receiving the ball 6 times for 111 yards and a touchdown. Although Brock Purdy could’ve played better at times, having 2 interceptions and a QBR of 60.8, the play-calling from the head coach, Kyle Shanahan, created a drastic difference. Especially while trailing late in the 4th quarter, when San Francisco used a trick pass play from wide receiver Jauan Jennings. The play caught Eagles defenders off-guard and resulted in a “finishing dagger” touchdown play.
The 49ers displayed their sheer fight and determination, especially after George Kittle suffered a torn Achilles injury during the game. The Seahawks will certainly have their hands full going into their upcoming game. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Seahawks 17-13 in their first game this season before being defeated by the Seahawks 3-13 in the last game of the season.
Eagles Just Searching For Answers
Philadelphia played their best game; however, it ultimately wasn’t enough. Saquon Barkley came out running, carrying the ball an astounding 26 times for 106 yards. Dallas Goedert also had a star-level game, being the first and only tight end in playoff history to record both a receiving and rushing touchdown. Although history was made in some aspects, in other aspects this team would rather forget this loss.
Jalen Hurts addressed some of the Eagles' issues in the post-game press conference to the media, saying, "Yeah, we just didn't make the plays. I think competitively; everyone on our team has a great desire to win, to achieve the ultimate goal. Especially here, right now, having everything in front of us, it’s about winning, and that’s something that we didn’t collectively do. That starts with me, so I take it very personally on that.”
“Obviously you want more; obviously you worked for more. But it’s an assessment on how we can improve in the end; regardless of what it looks like, it’s how you learn from it and respond from it. Gotta improve from it.” Hurts continues in a statement.
Key Stat
Christian McCaffrey: 48 rushing yards, 66 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns
Final Score
49ers 23, Eagles 19
