- The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 23-19 in the NFC wild-card round.
- San Francisco won despite losing tight end George Kittle to an Achilles injury during the game.
- Christian McCaffrey scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the game-winner from Brock Purdy.
PHILADELPHIA − The San Francisco 49ers may have suffered another rattling body blow in the NFC’s final wild-card bout of this postseason, but they still managed to deal the knockout punch to the reigning Super Bowl champions.
On a blustery day in the city where Rocky was deified, the decimated and bloodied Niners – despite losing Pro Bowl tight end and team captain George Kittle to an Achilles injury before halftime – emerged from their corner to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 23-19. The haymaker came on All-Pro Christian McCaffrey’s second touchdown catch of the fourth quarter, a 4-yard dart from quarterback Brock Purdy with 2:54 to go.
The Eagles were on the ropes at the period’s outset, with 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings – a highly recruited quarterback in high school – throwing a 29-yard TD to McCaffrey on a trick play similar to the one the team used in the Super Bowl two years ago on the first play of the quarter. McCaffrey finished with 114 yards from scrimmage, 66 of them through the air.
Overall, the Niners stacked up 361 yards − 70 better than coach Kyle Shanahan had averaged in four previous matchups with Philly defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who’d come out on the winning side three times prior to Sunday.
San Francisco will face the top-seeded Seahawks in the Pacific Northwest next weekend, two weeks after losing to them 13-3 in Silicon Valley – a defeat that conferred home-field advantage to Seattle.
The 49ers persevered on a day largely spent without Kittle and one when Ricky Pearsall, the club’s most dynamic wideout, was inactive. They’ve spent most of the season without star defenders Nick Bosa and Fred Warner as well as rookie D-lineman Mykel Williams, a first-round pick last spring. A team that’s lost 74 collective games to injuries to its Week 1 starters is now charged with overcoming its rested divisional rivals.
But history is on San Francisco’s side. In four previous trips to the playoffs under Shanahan, the Niners have never failed to advance at least as far as the NFC title game and reached the Super Bowl twice.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni suffered his first playoff loss at home after winning his first five at Lincoln Financial Field. Philly’s star-studded offense continued its disjointed pattern from throughout the season, with quarterback Jalen Hurts frequently off target and unable to rally the team on the final drive. It remains to be seen if much-maligned offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo will retain his role.
