With their highest-scoring performance, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the No. 1 seed in the NFC Philadelphia Eagles 42-19 in arguably their most significant contest of the year. In doing so, the Eagles accomplished a major upset.
The 49ers closed the margin with the Eagles to a single game with their victory, and they now hold the tiebreaker in their possession.
The 49ers recorded 456 yards and six consecutive touchdowns to rebound from an early deficit on offense. This total ranked second-highest of the season, trailing only their Week 8 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals, in which they accumulated 460 yards of loss.
San Francisco surrendered 333 yards on defense but limited Philadelphia to two field goals and one interception on downs; this proved sufficient as the Eagles’ offense flourished.
Three key points from the 49ers’ 42-19 victory over the Eagles on Sunday are as follows.
Procedure for Chains
I alluded to the fact that this game would be more of an offensive brawl in the intro; therefore, chain movement would substantially impact the game’s outcome.
The Philadelphia Eagles performed admirably in this regard, converting 8 of 15 third-down opportunities and scoring on 1/2 of 4th-down options.
Nevertheless, the 49ers emerged victorious, converting 8 of 11 third-down opportunities and their sole fourth-down attempt.
Early in the game, the Eagles were compelled to settle for field goals twice and committed turnovers on downs when the game was already in their favor. This discrepancy ultimately proved to be critical.
The problem? Third downs for Philadelphia were as follows: 7, 21, 11, 19, 8, 7, 12, 8, 10, and 9 yards. Although they achieved a few conversions, they encountered difficulties in other long-distance situations, preventing them from proceeding with their customary level of aggression on fourth down.
In contrast, the 49ers either prevented the offense from reaching third down or consistently forced it into situations from short distances, resulting in sustained d offensive success and 42 total points.
Red area
The performance in the red zone also significantly influenced the game’s outcome.
Philadelphia ranked eighth with a 62.8 percent red zone touchdown rate before the contest. San Francisco ranked ninth with a 61.4 percent red zone touchdown rate.
Nevertheless, in the three weeks preceding the game, the Eagles succeeded at one hundred percent in those opportunities. In contrast, the 49ers did so at a rate of fifty percent.
On Sunday, the 49ers converted all four red zone opportunities into touchdowns. The Eagles could only muster touchdowns on two of their four options.
Although the Eagles missed field goals on their other two opportunities, this game might have been more competitive had they scored touchdowns on both of their opening possessions.
The 49ers capitalized on the Eagles’ one-of-the-worst red zone defenses in the league by achieving a comfortable victory through various scoring opportunities.
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Eagles defense versus 49ers offense
As previously stated, this matchup was destined to be an offensive struggle, particularly considering Philadelphia’s inconsistent defense of 415 yards per contest over their previous three games.
The 49ers, however, rose to the occasion, accumulating 460 yards. On 27 attempts, quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 314 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions, while running back Christian McCaffrey gained 93 yards on the ground and scored.
Purdy led San Francisco in passing efficiency with 11.6 yards per attempt; however, the figure was inflated by wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s several long runs following receptions.
The Eagles were outpaced both aerially and on the ground, as the 49ers accumulated 146 yards and two touchdowns at a rate of 5.2 yards per carry.
Significantly more importantly, the 49ers prevented the Eagles’ defensive line from controlling the game; Brock Purdy was held to two sacks and one turnover, culminating in a relatively clean performance for San Francisco.
The 49ers dominated the Eagles with a well-balanced attack that resulted in six touchdowns and took advantage of every opportunity to secure a resounding victory.