When- January 29, 2 PM, FOX
Where- Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
San Francisco- 2 Seed (NFC West)
Rating- 39.11
Record- 15-4
Strength of Schedule- 31 out of 32
Philadelphia- 1 Seed (NFC East)
Rating- 41.94
Record- 15-3
Strength of Schedule- 16 out of 32
Why San Francisco will win- The Eagles defense can be had on the ground allowing 121.4 yards per game which ranks 16th in the NFL. The unit will certainly be put to the test by backs Elijah Mitchell and Christian McCaffrey who lead the 49ers potent rushing attack. San Francisco’s O-line has been solid allowing just 1.8 sacks per game and should be able to contain Philadelphia’s ferocious pass rush which leads the NFL in sacks per game.
Why Philadelphia will win- 49ers rookie QB Brock Purdy will make his first playoff start on the road in one of the league’s most hostile environments. After struggling late in the season, due to injuries at key positions, the Eagles offense finally found it rhythm against the Giants putting up 38 points along with 268 yards rushing. QB Jalen Hurts completed 16 of 24 passes with 2 TD’s to notch his 1st postseason victory. Both 49ers running backs Mitchell and McCaffrey were banged up in last week’s win and may not be at full strength entering Sunday’s game.
Matchup to Watch- Philadelphia’s pass rush vs San Francisco’s O-line. It’s strength against strength and whichever team gets the upper hand in this matchup will likely punch their ticket to Glendale.
Eye Test Analytics Predicted Outcome- Philadelphia by 5.58 points