Have you heard? The Philadelphia Eagles are hosting the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
In order to preview this Wild Card matchup, I reached out to our enemies over at Niners Nation. The nice Nicholas McGee kindly took the time took the time to answer my questions about this upcoming playoff battle. Let’s take a look at the answers.
I think most 49ers fans would probably accept that this is likely going to be a step too far. The team will undoubtedly fight, and they deserve immense credit for what they’ve achieved this season with the injury adversity they’ve faced. However, with the injuries they have on defense — particularly at linebacker — and the doubt surrounding Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall, it’s difficult to see the 49ers having enough in the tank to pull off the upset. A wild card defeat would be disappointing but, given all that’s transpired in a year of transition, the season as a whole should be seen as a step forward by a young roster.
2 – What’s the biggest matchup in this game working in the 49ers’ favor?
We have to be honest, there isn’t much in the 49ers’ favor in this game. If Williams is healthy, then it can be argued that the 49ers have an edge with their tackles going against the Eagles’ defensive front in the run game. Williams and Colton McKivitz were two of the best run-blocking tackles in football in the regular season, and the Eagles have shown some vulnerability to the rush, ranking 17th in run stop win rate and 19th in success rate allowed against the run. Despite the strong play of Williams and McKivitz, the 49er run game hasn’t fired on all cylinders this season. Yet if they can win the battle on the line of scrimmage and open holes for Christian McCaffrey, then San Francisco’s slim chances of upsetting the odds will improve.
3 – What’s the biggest matchup in this game working against the 49ers?
There’s a lot to choose from, but I think I’d probably settle on the Eagles’ pass-catchers against the 49ers’ back seven. That’s not an answer tied to the cornerback play, but rather the injuries at linebacker and the struggles at safety, a position where the Niners have continued to get extremely volatile play despite investing pretty heavily in that spot in the draft in recent years. If Dallas Goedert is healthy and the 49ers aren’t able to get pressure, then it could be a really productive day for Jalen Hurts attacking the flimsy spine of the 49er defense.
4 – If the 49ers could do the Bryce Huff trade over again, would they? Do you expect him to make any impact in this game?
I think they would do it again, considering the relatively small opportunity cost. He was impressive as a rotational pass rusher, which was the role the 49ers envisioned for him, when Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams were healthy. As the injuries have piled up on the defensive line, he’s had to take on more of a burden in playing increased snaps and the impact of his rushes has waned. Still, when the 49ers have successfully disrupted the quarterback, it has typically been Huff doing the damage. Even in an awful season for the 49er pass rush, Huff has consistently created pressure. Whether he makes any tangible impact on this game will likely depend on whether his running mates up front can do the same and give the 49ers an at least mildly effective team rush.
5 – Who wins this game and why? With the Eagles currently listed as 4.5-point home favorites, what’s your score prediction?
I think the 49ers can do enough to keep this game relatively close, but with their susceptibility to both the run and the pass, I expect the defense to ultimately prove their undoing. The 49ers ideally want to turn this game into a shootout but, potentially going against a Vic Fangio defense without Williams and Pearsall, they don’t really have the offensive resources to do that. I expect an admirable effort on the road, but a one-score defeat feels about right.
Prediction: Eagles 28, 49ers 20.
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