49ers Have Multiple Paths To Taking Down Eagles

49ers vs. Eagles, 4:30 ET

The NFC had their first two games decided on Saturday, but the last game of the first round of the conference brings us this battle between the past two Super Bowl representatives from the conference. We have a team looking to reclaim their spot in the big game, and another team looking to finally find their footing after taking home the trophy last season. Who will advance from this showdown between the 49ers and the Eagles?

The 49ers are one of the more polarizing teams in the league this season. There are some people who think they are truly elite and have the best offense in the NFL. There are others who think that they are so bad on defense that they really have no shot to even win this game. Then, as usual, there are people inbetween. I’m one who thinks they won’t win, but they do have a shot. Credit does need to be given to San Francisco and the coaching staff for overcoming so many injuries this year, but that doesn’t hide that the team has some major flaws. They went 12-5 with losses to the Jaguars, Buccaneers, Texans, Rams, and Seahawks. The only team listed there that is not a playoff team didn’t make it because of tie-breakers. So who did they beat that is a playoff team this year? The Seahawks in the first week, in Sam Darnold’s debut for the team, the Rams in a complete fluke and failing of Sean McVay as a coach, the Panthers, a team that got in because of those previously mentioned tie-breakers, and finally the Bears. All of this is to say that there is valid reason to question their validity. I think this team would want a shootout. If they get that, the Eagles may struggle. 

Philadelphia has been a frustrating team, but that might be the Super Bowl hangover. I think a fair question to ask about them now is to see if the Eagles can actually turn it on or not. They were just 11-6 this season, and there were constant stories about Jalen Hurts not being good enough, AJ Brown being unhappy, and something being wrong about Saquon Barkley. The back half of the schedule saw them lose four of nine games, including three in a row to Dallas, Chicago, and the Chargers. They didn’t try in the final week of the season and lost to the Commanders. For being a Super Bowl winner, this wasn’t a very tough schedule for the Eagles, though. They beat the Chiefs, again a team that was significantly worse than we realized. They beat the Rams and Buccaneers, but both of those games were lucky wins. They also beat the Packers and Bills on the road, probably their two most impressive wins on the season as they were able to win low-scoring games. There is reason to be concerned about the team as their rushing defense has been sub-par and Christian McCafferey can run wild. There passing defense has been strong, though, so Brock Purdy could have a tough time. 

It is clear that the Eagles have a better defense than the 49ers, and the 49ers have a better offense than the Eagles. So which wins when head-to-head happens? Usually, the winner is the defense. While I think the Eagles win this game, I don’t think they can do it if this game becomes a shootout. There are more paths for the 49ers to cover the spread, and even win, than there are for the Eagles to cover. Give me the points with San Francisco as I think the gap between the offenses is larger than the gap between the defenses. 

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