Philly Plain Dealer

This Sunday, the 49ers head to South Philadelphia for an NFC wild card game that feels far more consequential than its seeding suggests. Although they share no division and couldn’t be further apart geographically, San Francisco and Philadelphia have developed a genuine rivalry over the last few seasons.

This animosity first materialized in the 2022 NFC championship game, when 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffered an early injury to his throwing arm and missed most of the game (and the following season), effectively neutering the 49ers offense and clearing a path to a decisive Eagles victory. To this day, 49ers fans treat that game less like a loss than a theft.

Tensions flared again in December 2023, during the now-infamous sideline altercation between Eagles head of security Dom “Big Dom” DiSandro and 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw, an incident that resulted in both men being ejected and, improbably, rocketed Big Dom into the national football consciousness on the strength of his Sopranos-adjacent aura alone. This incident only further fueled the flames and set the stage for Sunday’s matchup.For the Eagles, the matchup arrives under self-inflicted pressure. Nick Sirianni’s controversial decision to rest starters in the final week of season cost the Eagles the No. 2 seed, which would have seen the Eagles play the corpse of the Green Bay Packers. Instead, the Eagles are staring down the barrel of a high-powered 49ers offense, headlined by Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, two of the best players at their respective positions.

San Francisco’s offense has been among the league’s most productive, averaging over 350 yards per game, but the matchup proves to be an interesting one. The Eagles’ defense has been very effective at neutralizing the pass game, and with stud defensive tackle Jalen Carter set to return, the interior run defense should regain its gritty, physical edge. The question is whether Zack Baun and other Eagles linebackers can limit McCaffrey’s explosiveness and whether Cooper DeJean can cover George Kittle’s monstrous frame and physicality. Vic Fangio has likely been game planning for the 49ers for two weeks now and continues to establish himself as one of the best defensive coordinators in the game.

The 49ers are reeling from a plethora of injuries on defense, including star edge-rusher Nick Bosa and all-pro linebacker Fred Warner. These injuries have left the 49ers defense with exploitable weak points that the Eagles should be able to exploit. If they can establish the run game with Saquon early, they can control tempo, shorten the game, and keep this rivalry grounded in something Philadelphia understands well: attrition.  For all the history, all the grievances and what-ifs, this game ought to come down to something brutally simple: healthy teams advance.