49ers vs Eagles will be high-stakes theater at Lincoln Financial Field when the 10-1 Philadelphia Eagles host the 8-3 San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in a 2023 NFC Championship Game rematch.
Kickoff from Lincoln Financial Field is set for 4:25 p.m. ET. San Francisco
The Philadelphia Eagles own the NFL’s best record and look to strengthen their lead in the race for the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC as they host the NFC West leading San Francisco 49ers. The Eagles (10-1) defeated the Bills, 37-34 in an overtime thriller on Sunday, while the 49ers (8-3) beat the Seahawks, 31-13 on Thanksgiving night. The teams most recently played in last January’s NFC Championship Game, a 31-7 Philadelphia victory. The Eagles are 7-2-2 against the spread, while the 49ers are 6-5 ATS in 2023.
49ers vs Eagles San Francisco Seek Payback
The 49ers were left with a bitter taste in their mouths after being throttled 31-7 on Jan. 29. Quarterback Brock Purdy was knocked out of the game on their sixth offensive snap with a torn UCL in his throwing elbow, and backup Josh Johnson exited with a concussion in the third quarter. Afterward, receiver Brandon Aiyuk said Philadelphia got “extremely lucky.” Deebo Samuel got personal, calling Eagles corner James Bradberry “trash.” He said San Francisco lost “because we played with 10 people.”
“Talk is cheap,” Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick said this week. “You know, they get to come back in the Linc. It was a lot of boohoos last year, a lot of crying, a lot of what if, a lot of this, a lot of that. They get a chance to come back in here, line that s— up, and prove it again.”
While the Niners are out for payback, the Eagles get to play the underdog card despite owning the best record in the NFL. San Francisco is a three-point favorite, making Philadelphia just the seventh team in the Super Bowl era to have 10-plus wins and one or fewer losses and be a home underdog.
In the three games since their bye week, San Francisco has looked absolutely dominant, winning by 31, 13 and 18 points. Star running back Christian McCaffrey leads the NFL in rushing/receiving touchdowns with 16, after a two touchdown performance against Seattle. In the Thanksgiving night game, McCaffrey rushed 19 times for 114 yards and caught five passes for 25 yards. If he remains healthy, teams likely won’t have an answer to slow him down in this potent offense.
Quarterback Brock Purdy has been excellent since the 49ers’ three game midseason losing streak. Against the Seahawks, he didn’t have to do the heavy lifting, throwing for only 209 yards and a touchdown on 21 of 30 passing with one interception. Purdy was injured early in last year’s NFC Championship Game loss and seemingly wants a bit of revenge against the team who denied San Francisco a spot in last year’s Super Bowl. See which team to pick here.
Philadelphia has been playing with fire of late, having won each of its last four games by one possession. In Sunday’s dramatic overtime victory over Buffalo, Jalen Hurts solidified himself atop the current MVP leaders by throwing for 200 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for two more. On the season, Hurts has thrown for 18 scores and rushed for 11 more, most of which have come via the rugby-style play known affectionately as “The Brotherly Shove.”
After a six game stretch with 125 or more receiving yards, star Philadelphia wide receiver A.J. Brown has been quiet of late, combining for only 111 yards and two touchdowns over the last three games. With tight end Dallas Goedert out the last two weeks, the Eagles No. 2 receiver, Devonta Smith, has lines of 6-99-0 and 7-106-1 after posting only two 99+ yard performances in the season’s first nine games. Against a stout 49ers defense, the Eagles will need to be crisp on offense and Hurts will likely need to target Brown and Smith early and often. See which team to pick here.
Beyond the drama, there’s plenty on the line in this matchup when it comes to playoff positioning. There’s a decent chance these teams will square off in the postseason once again. If San Francisco wants any shot of hosting that game, it needs to walk out of Philly victorious this time around.