NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers met in the NFL Championship Game in January where the Eagles defeated the 49ers 31-7 to advance to Super Bowl 57. Since their defeat, the 49ers have been on edge regarding how that defeat came about.
Early in the first quarter, starting QB Brock Purdy was injured as he attempted a pass and was replaced with Josh Johnson. From there, it was just an onslaught as Johnson was lost for the game as well. The 49ers had no choice but to run the ball with no healthy QB able to stay in the pocket.
While it was heartbreaking to see the 49ers go out like that, injuries are a part of the game. Since their defeat, players, and analysts have said that the game would have gone down differently if Purdy had been healthy. I agree, but once again, it’s part of the game. Were the Eagles supposed to stop playing and tell the league to reschedule?
Are The Philadelphia Eagles And 49ers Must-See TV
This offseason, there was plenty of chatter and trash-talking between Eagles and 49ers fans but also between Eagles and 49ers players. While there is a rematch that will occur in the regular season in 2023, that game will not hold the same weight of significance that the Championship Game did, but that shouldn’t stop the hounds from sounding off. Brandon Aiyuk had this to say regarding the Eagles.
Hypothetically speaking if I were to bet on this game, I would take everything that I own, get it in cash and put my money on the Kansas City Chiefs.
I got the Chiefs. I think the Chiefs… I just think they have their hands full. They got their hands full. I don’t know fully about [Philly’s] defense. They talk about them being a good defense. I’m not sure. I think the pass game, this Kansas City pass game will expose what we thought we would be able to expose before some unfortunate circumstances happened, so we’ll see. But like I said, you got to get lucky win the Super Bowl, and they got extremely lucky last week, so who’s to say they can’t do it twice?
All this begs the question if this is a real rivalry. The Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers meet like once every 3 years so there is nothing to suggest that it’s one. The Championship Game put a microscope on this matchup and by the noise fans are making, this could turn out to be one if they are to meet again in the playoffs. It’s the same way the 49ers and Dallas Cowboys became a rivalry in the 90s. Two teams, not in the same division consistently meeting in the playoffs. For Deebo Samuels, the Eagles won the game due to the 49ers being undermanned.
We lost because we played with 10 people,” Samuel on the Eagles beating the 49ers in the NFC Title. “ I ain’t going to keep going on about what could’ve happened and what would’ve happened but yeah, it would’ve definitely been a different outcome (if healthy)
For both the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers, this appears to be something in the making. Truth be told, the NFL needs more playoff rivals. Think about the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals in the last 2 seasons. While this game will not have the same allure as the Eagles vs Cowboys, it’s a great feeling for NFL fans to watch two powerhouse teams go toe-to-toe in the playoffs with a title on the line.
With both teams having young QBs leading the way, this is a matchup that could grow into something bigger than what it is now. The NFL was wise to schedule these two teams for the upcoming season. There is a bit of bad blood there and that alone should draw viewers.
