Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links … 49ers-Eagles has serious Game of the Year potential; plus, Denver’s revival and the art of scripting plays – NFL.com
Philadelphia has constructed an imposing defensive front of its own, with Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and a host of young defenders (chiefly, Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis) making plays. The Eagles roll over opponents with a deep and talented rotation that relentlessly pursues the ball and hunts quarterbacks on critical downs. While the Eagles’ defensive front sets the tone, the offensive line currently separates this team from the rest of the pack. Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Jason Kelce, Cam Jurgens and Lane Johnson possess the strength, power, explosiveness and athleticism to knock defenders off the ball or latch onto would-be tacklers in space. As a unit that excels on gap-scheme and zone-based runs in front of a dynamic quarterback (Jalen Hurts) and versatile group of running backs (including big-play specialist D’Andre Swift), the offensive line sets the stage for the Eagles’ punishing ground game. Considering how the rushing battle frequently decides the outcome of games, don’t be surprised if Philadelphia’s O-line vs. San Francisco’s D-line is the definitive matchup on Sunday. NFL Week 13 predictions, fantasy sleepers, key stats, buzz – ESPN+
Can Jordan Davis and the Eagles stop the 49ers’ running attack? Davis, a 2022 first-round pick by the Eagles, leads the entire NFL in run stop win rate as an interior defender (48%). RSWR measures run-stopping performance in a variety of ways, most notably a player’s ability to beat their blocker or make a tackle within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage. The Philly defensive tackle hasn’t played a ton this season, but Davis’ snap count increased significantly last week against the Bills (62 snaps), and he could be crucial against the 49ers. No team in the NFL calls designed runs at a higher rate than San Francisco (47%), and running back Christian McCaffrey leads the league in rushing at 939 yards (4.9 per carry). 49ers analyst gives 3 reasons why the Eagles will win in Week 13 – BGN1. The difference in aggression between Kyle Shanahan and Nick Sirianni. The closer a game is, the more important situational management becomes. Nick Sirianni recognizes the value of 4th down conversions when it comes to stealing extra points, plays and yards from your opponent. Kyle Shanahan does not. The Eagles have attempted 25 fourth down conversations, and made 12 of them. The 49ers have attempted 15 such conversions and made six of them.Put simply, Sirianni coaches to win, while Kyle Shanahan coaches not to lose. In a game between two evenly matched teams, winning and losing may come down to the coach that isn’t afraid to give his offense one more chance to pick up a fourth down or a touchdown. Eye on the Enemy #159: Rob Stats Guerrera on what will happen to the 49ers if they lose this game – BGN RadioJohn Stolnis talks with the Gold Standard Network’s Rob Stats Guerrera about what will happen to the 49ers if they lose this game, match-up advantages and why he thinks the 49ers energy and desperation to win may be their undoing. Eagles analyst gives 3 reasons why the 49ers will win in Week 13 – The Gold Standard Network1 – The Eagles can’t beat the 49ers playing from behind. In order to beat the 49ers, the Eagles must dictate the game script. They need to shut down San Fran’s rushing attack and force Brock Purdy to drop back and pass much more often than he’s used to doing.That much is easier said than done, especially for a team that’s entered halftime trailing in each of their last four games. Credit the Eagles for playing well from behind, but that’s just not the spot you want to be in against the 49ers. Staying ahead could be difficult for an Eagles team that hasn’t been nearly as good as their opposition when it comes to protecting the ball and taking it away. The 49ers have the league’s best turnover differential at +11 while the Eagles actually rank 19th at -2. The worry here is that Jalen Hurts, who has the NFL’s second-longest average time-to-throw, will hold onto the ball for too long and give the 49ers’ front chances to sack him. We could see a strip-sack or an interception generated from him being hit while throwing. Hurts has been able to overcome turnover issues for most of the season, but he’s about to be dealing with his smallest margin for error yet. Is Week 13 more important to the 49ers or the Eagles? – Niners NationAs I shared above, I do believe that the 49ers will beat the Eagles this week, and I don’t think it’ll be that close with a final score of 27-17. That would put Philadelphia at 10-2 and San Francisco at 9-3, with the latter earning the tiebreaker. I could even see the Eagles losing on the road next week to a Cowboys team that has seen elite quarterback play from Dak Prescott this season, dropping them to 10-3 and providing Dallas control of the No. 1 seed for the time being. But, I don’t see Philadelphia losing a game down the stretch, which would place them at 14-3 at the worst. Dallas, on the other hand, still has to face the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and Detroit Lions after the Eagles. I anticipate them losing at least one of those games, dropping them to 13-4 at best and out of competition for the NFC East title. As for San Francisco, while I envision them beating the Eagles, I don’t see them currently winning out with a game like the Baltimore Ravens still on the schedule. I predict them to finish 13-4, which would keep them out of contention for the No. 1 seed, even with the victory over Philly. Niner Talk – Iggles BlitzIf SF beats the Eagles on Sunday, that will make them believe even stronger that they would have prevailed in January with a healthy QB. That will eat at them, knowing bad blocking cost them a trip to the Super Bowl. If SF loses to the Eagles, they could start to really doubt themselves. “Do the Eagles have our number? Are they to us what we are to Dallas?” A win for the Eagles would make them 11-1, but wouldn’t change their mentality. They wouldn’t get a sense of validation or anything like that. The Eagles won in January and don’t see that as a fluke. They believe in themselves and that Jalen Hurts guy, you know, the dude who almost never loses. A loss for the Eagles would drop them to 10-2, but wouldn’t really change anything. Nick Sirianni is masterful at getting his team to live in the moment. They don’t get too high, they don’t get too low. That is part of the secret sauce that keeps them winning. The Eagles don’t go into berserk mode when they’re up 24-10 and they don’t panic when they’re down 17-7. They play the next play and just keep grinding. This game means so much more to SF. It will make it that much sweeter if the Eagles are able to win and can continue to live in the heads of Niners players for the foreseeable future. In Roob’s Eagles Observations: Why DeSean Jackson is a legit Hall of Fame candidate – NBCSP5. The Eagles haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher this year, although they’ll get quite a challenge Sunday from Christian McCaffrey, who’s averaging 85 rushing yards per game. And they’ll have to face him without Zach Cunningham and possibly without Fletcher Cox. Isiah Pacheco (89) and Josh Allen (81) are the only players who’ve rushed for even 60 yards against the Eagles. The last back to surpass 100 yards against the Eagles was Houston’s Dameon Pierce, who had 139 yards in Week 9 last year in the Eagles’ 29-17 win at NRG Stadium. So including postseason, the Eagles have gone 23 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. That’s their longest streak since a 27-game streak over the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The last opposing back to rush for 100 yards at the Linc is Clyde Edwards-Helaire of the Chiefs, who had 102 yards in the Chiefs’ win early in 2021. The last opposing…