NFC Championship Preview

By Alex Benjamin

The NFC Championship game will see the Philadelphia Eagles take on the San Francisco 49ers, a game where no one has any idea who will win.

The Eagles, led by quarterback Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma; nowhere else), have had a strong season, finishing with a record of 14-3 (14-1 with Hurts). They have an incredible offense, which is led by Hurts and features a talented group of wide receivers, including A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith (s/o Nick, Alabama Product), and Zach Pascal. The team's defense is the main strength, finishing first in yards allowed per game.

The 49ers, on the other hand, have had a rollercoaster of a season, finishing with a record of 13-4. They have had 3 starting quarterbacks this season and are now led by quarterback Brock Purdy, who has come out of nowhere and become the best Mr. Irrelevant of all time, throwing for 1300 yards and 13 touchdowns in only 5 games. Along with being undefeated as a starter. The 49ers also have an elite defense that finished second in yards allowed per game.

The game will be played at the Linc, home of the Eagles. If he can survive the linc, Brock Purdy is the top G in the NFL right now. The Eagles are a tough team and have had an incredible season but the 49ers are a well-rounded team and coming in hungry. The 49ers are a well-coached team and they have a lot of playoff experience.

It will be exciting to see how the game unfolds. Both teams will look to continue their dominance and advance to the Super Bowl. Which team will come out on top to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl?

The Eagles and 49ers, are the top two seeds in this year's NFC playoff bracket. The Eagles were ranked No. 2 in defense and No. 3 in offense, and the 49ers were No. 1 in defense and No. 5 in the offense. They were the only NFL teams ranked in the top five in both this season.

Through their 38-7 victory over the Giants on Saturday, the Eagles got to the NFC Championship Game. On Sunday, the 49ers defeated the Cowboys 19-12 to advance.

The 23-year-old rookie quarterback Brock Purdy is leading the 49ers, who haven't lost in more than three months, and is 7-0 since taking over for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo. The third-youngest quarterback to ever start an AFC or NFC Championship Game will be Purdy.

The 49ers are 2-5 in road NFC title games. The Eagles are 3-4 in NFC Championship Games. The Eagles have a 14-20-1 overall record and a 5-11-1 home record against the 49ers. The 49ers defeated them 17-11 in the second game of Nick Sirianni's coaching career last year.

This season, the 49ers have won 12 consecutive games since the Oct. 23 loss to the Chiefs. Everyone hoping that Brock Purdy would develop into, well, Brock Purdy, is in for a rude awakening. He has been fantastic, but it's also because the San Francisco style of play is perfect for a young rookie quarterback. He only needs to avoid throwing errors, be extremely cautious while delivering short to mid-range passes to excellent playmakers who can gain yards after the catch, such as Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle, and rely on a strong running game to relieve pressure. Finally, when in doubt, eat it, live to fight another day, and let the No. 1 defense, led by Nick Bosa, in the NFL handle the rest.

The fact that Purdy doesn't require a lot of time for this kind of offense also helps. Although the Dallas pass rush affected him, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He never had to improv, and he was able to avoid making errors.

The Eagles will struggle to maintain their running game even when it isn't working as long as San Francisco's methodical offense can keep the tempo under control.

Alex’s Keys to the Game:

If the Eagles get out to a good start, they could be able to finish this game quickly. The 49ers have never had to panic or press too hard during the incredible run under Brock Purdy.

The fact that Philadelphia has the capacity to out 49er the 49ers is San Francisco's biggest problem. Yes, Purdy excels at distributing the ball to his playmakers and weapons but Philly has more usable running backs, stronger wide receivers, and a good tight end in Dallas Goedert. The Eagles lack a Christian McCaffrey, but the 49ers lack a Jalen Hurts-like running back. Who is one of the best running QBs in the NFL along with Justin Fields (who got screwed in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vHaG-IANHM&themeRefresh=1 ). All of it feeds into what the Eagles like to do. The Eagles don’t allow big things to happen when players get the ball in their hands. When San Francisco allows 99 or more rushing yards, they are 2-4. Philly has been held under 100 yards just five times and is 12-0 when hitting 100 yards.

The only roster that even comes close to matching the Eagles' is that of the 49ers. A huge key will be the Eagles' defensive line vs the O-line of the 49ers. Haason Reddick, 17.5 sacks, postseason included, should be in for another huge day for the Eagles. Mike McGlinchey, not Trent Williams, will be his opponent. Every way is strength on strength. The Eagles have had 70 sacks this year. Third all time. That is 15 more than other teams in the NFL and is almost double the Bengals.

Also, Hurts is an advantage over Brock Purdy. Hurts is good. He is an MVP finalist and has proven to be one of The best players in the NFL. If Purdy does win this game, he will officially be called “Mr. Relevant.” However, Purdy has never faced a defense like this Philly D.

However, the San Francisco offense will reduce the impact of the renowned Eagles' defense. McCaffrey, Samuel, and Kittle will lessen the impact of the outstanding cornerback tandem of James Bradberry and Darius Slay. Jordan Mailata, despite his amazing singing voice, was ranked 56th out of 64 in pass block win rate, maybe beaten often by Nick Bosa. If this game becomes ugly I could easily see the 49ers pulling this one out in a game like 18-12. Ugly is the key for them!

What do I think will happen?:

Philadelphia's weather is predicted to be ideal football weather for late January. Although it won't be a fast-paced shootout, both offenses should be able to generate enough points to make this a back-and-forth game. The Eagles won't fail as Dallas did in the end zone and San Francisco accomplishes a lot of amazing things, but on either side of the ball within the 20-yard line, from what I've seen, it's not all that great.

It will be close the entire time, both defenses will have their moments, and there will be opportunities to seize control. Philadelphia, though, will once more be a little better on Sunday afternoon.

Official Prediction: Eagles -2.5; Eagles 21-49ers 17

The NFC championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers is shaping up to be a battle of the birds. On one side, you have the Eagles, a team known for their scrappy, underdog mentality and their fan base that's almost as intense as their on-field play. On the other side, you have the 49ers, a team known for their precision and efficiency on the field, and their fans who are so chill. They might as well be birds of prey.

When the Eagles take the field, they'll be led by their fearless leader, Jalen Hurts. Hurts is known for his ability to make plays with his legs, which is great because he'll need to do a lot of running to avoid the 49ers' defense. The 49ers' defense is so tough, they make concrete look soft. The 49ers will be led by their own bird of prey, Brock Purdy. I’m ready to “Brock and Roll and Purdy every day” (PardonMyTake). In the end, it's anyone's game. Only time will tell. I want to see a Kelce Bowl.