The San Francisco 49ers are headed back east to tangle with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game.
A matchup pitting two teams that most project to be battling it out for the conference title in January, there are several backdrops to this game.
Philadelphia ousted San Francisco by the score of 31-7 in the title game this past January. Though, that came after 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffered an elbow injury on their first drive. Since then, there has been a ton of back-and-forth between players on both teams.
Two top-end Super Bowl contenders going at it. Jalen Hurts joining Purdy as a legitimate NFL MVP candidate. No love lost between the two sides. It promises to be an epic game inside Lincoln Financial Field come Sunday. Below, we provide four bold predictions for this one.
Related: Why the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles game is the most important this season
Jalen Hurts, Brock Purdy combine for seven touchdowns
Hurts has put up at least three touchdowns in five of his 11 starts for the Eagles this season. Purdy has tallied that many total scores in three starts, including two of his three outings after San Francisco’s Week 9 bye. Both have been absolutely brilliant from a statistical perspective pretty much all season.
- Jalen Hurts stats: 68% completion, 2,697 passing yards, 410 rushing yards, 29 total TD, 10 INT, 94.9 rating
- Brock Purdy stats: 70% completion, 2,871 passing yards, 21 TD, 6 INT, 112.3 QB rating
While Hurts has made a name for himself by scoring touchdown after touchdown (four in the second half and overtime last week), San Francisco’s defense has been elite defending the pass this season. It has yielded 11 touchdown passes compared to 15 interceptions. As for Philadelphia, its pass defense has not nearly been as good (23 TD, 6 INT). Look for Purdy to take full advantage.
Related: Ranking Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy among NFL’s starting QBs
Philadelphia Eagles hold Christian McCaffrey to less than 50 rushing yards
There is very little reason for the Eagles’ defense to play the pass and leave McCaffrey to beat its front seven. This has not been a recipe for success against McCaffrey throughout the 2023 season. He’s continually burned opposing defenses at nearly every stop.
- Christian McCaffrey stats (2023): 939 rushing yards, 48 receptions, 389 receiving yards, 1,328 total yards, 16 TD
The 49ers are 4-0 and outscoring their opponents by an average of 17 points per game when McCaffrey goes for over 100 yards on the ground this season. They are just 4-3 when he doesn’t reach that total. This is going to be a primary goal of Philadelphia’s defense.
The good news for Eagles fans? They are yielding 84.3 rushing yards per game, including a mere 62 to running backs on the season. The bet here has to be that McCaffrey will be held in check.
Related: Philadelphia Eagles’ standing in Sportsnaut’s NFL power rankings
San Francisco 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk goes off for 150 yards
On the other hand, these Eagles have continually been burned by wide receivers thus far in 2023. Players at this position are catching 61% of their passes. Philadelphia has also given up the third-most yards to receivers (2,157 on the campaign).
This is an area we expect the 49ers to take advantage. Aiyuk has been absolutely brilliant catching passes from Purdy this season. He’s averaging a whopping 19.6 yards per reception. The youngster has also hauled in 69% of his targets with Purdy boasting an absurd 124.7 QB rating when throwing his way. You can do the math from here.
Related: NFL Playoff and Super Bowl predictions
San Francisco 49ers exact revenge
We’ve heard the talking between these two conference rivals. It defined the offseason and has picked up some since. Philadelphia is going to do everything possible to pretty much put away home-field advantage in the NFC Playoffs.
But we’re boldly predicting that San Francisco goes into Lincoln Financial Field and comes away with a major statement win over the class of the NFL.
These 49ers rank third in the NFL in scoring at 28.2 points per game. They are yielding the fewest points (15.5). This has San Francisco outscoring its opponents by nearly 13 points per.
On the other hand, Philadelphia has had to come back from halftime deficits in each of its past four games. The team’s average point differential is a mere 5.8. Look for the 49ers to come out strong like they typically do, holding a double-digit halftime lead before holding on to win.
- Final prediction: San Francisco 49ers 31, Philadelphia Eagles 27