Sunday’s Wild Card clash at Lincoln Financial Field features two of the NFC’s most experienced playoff teams. Over the past three seasons, either the Eagles or 49ers has represented the conference in the Super Bowl, with Philadelphia making appearances in 2022 and 2024 and San Francisco in 2023.
This game also serves as a rematch of the 2022 NFC Championship Game, when Brock Purdy tore his UCL on the first drive and the Eagles rolled to a 31-7 win. A lot has changed since then, but questions remain for both sides heading into the postseason.
The 49ers enter banged up on both sides of the ball. San Francisco has lost stars like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, significantly weakening its defense, while offensive lineman Trent Williams is sidelined with a hamstring injury, and receiver Ricky Pearsall has battled a PCL issue for much of the season. Philadelphia has its own concerns, particularly along the offensive line, and the main question is whether Nick Sirianni’s offense can find consistency after a season of uneven play.
Against teams with a .600+ win percentage in 2025, the Eagles averaged just 19.4 points per game, while they were more effective against weaker competition, putting up 23.5 points per game. Historically, the Eagles are 5-0 at home in the playoffs under Sirianni, 0-2 on the road, and 1-1 in Super Bowls. San Francisco has reached the NFC Championship in every postseason under Kyle Shanahan and is 6-0 in Wild Card and Divisional Round games since 2019.
Philadelphia’s offense has struggled in 2025, scoring just 22.3 points per game (19th in the NFL) and averaging 311.2 yards per contest (24th), despite featuring Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith. Offensive line issues and predictable play-calling have hampered production, contributing to a league-high 28.1% three-and-out rate. Hurts has struggled with accuracy at times but protecting the football has been crucial—Philadelphia is 11-2 in games where he doesn’t throw an interception. The Eagles may benefit from a 49ers defense that has struggled to generate pressure, recording just 20 sacks and six interceptions, while allowing 358.6 total yards per game since Week 5, including 253.2 passing yards per game.
San Francisco’s offense, led by Brock Purdy since his Week 11 return, has been explosive, averaging 35.7 points per game over that stretch. Purdy ranks third in total touchdowns and passer rating since returning, using a balanced attack with Christian McCaffrey out of the backfield and receivers like Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, and a healthy Ricky Pearsall. Tight end George Kittle has been Purdy’s go-to target, with a passer rating of 140.6 on throws to him, and he’ll face Philadelphia’s tight-end-stopping defense, which has allowed the lowest passer rating to TEs in the league (72.2). The Eagles’ defense, fortified by Jaelan Phillips and Jalen Carter up front and corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in coverage, has been dominant, allowing just 15.6 points per game since Week 10, though the run defense has been vulnerable at times, conceding 124.4 rushing yards per game (22nd in the NFL).
The matchup of running backs will also be central. Christian McCaffrey has been San Francisco’s workhorse, totaling 1,202 rushing yards on 311 carries and 924 receiving yards on 102 catches for 2,126 scrimmage yards in 2025. He has struggled to break off consistent big runs, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry, but remains a dynamic threat through the air. Saquon Barkley produced 1,140 rushing yards on 280 carries for 7 touchdowns, but his explosiveness has diminished compared to his 2,005-yard 2024 season, with fewer long runs and reduced production in the passing game. Both offenses will rely heavily on these dynamic backs to create space and keep the opposing defenses off balance.
Sunday’s game will likely come down to whether the Eagles can jumpstart their offense against a depleted 49ers defense and whether San Francisco can exploit any holes in Philadelphia’s line while maximizing McCaffrey’s versatility. It promises to be a high-stakes, hard-fought clash between two battle-tested playoff squads.
