49ers vs. Eagles: 2023 NFL NFC Championship Round Picks & Predictions
The storylines for this one are endless.
A quarterback (Brock Purdy, 49ers) who has never lost an NFL game vs. a quarterback (Jalen Hurts, Eagles) who was an MVP contender the whole season. Two coaches, Nick Sirianni and Kyle Shanahan, are both contenders for Coach of the year.
When the Philadelphia Eagles (15-3) host the San Francisco 49ers (15-4) on Sunday afternoon in the NFC Championship Game, one of these two young teams will be heading to Arizona for Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12.
Let’s take a closer look at how things might play out.
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(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
49ers vs. Eagles: 2023 NFL NFC Championship Round Odds, Picks & Predictions (Sunday)
Details
- Opening Line: Eagles -2 | O/U 45.5
- Current Line: Eagles -2.5 | O/U 45.5
- Last meeting: Sept. 19, 2021 - 49ers 17, Eagles 11
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Overview
When it comes to metrics, it is no surprise these two teams are atop many lists. With two defenses in the top five, top-five offenses, top-10 rushing attacks and 110+ sacks between the two teams, it’s safe to say the two right NFC teams are here.
The quarterback position, however, assumingly goes a big edge to Philly. All season long, Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts was a front-runner for the MVP award, likely falling short, however, due to a late-season injury that nearly cost the Eagles the No. 1 overall NFC seed. For the 49ers, injuries to both Jimmy Garoppoloand Trey Lance thrust rookie third-string quarterback Brock Purdy into the lineup with just a few games remaining.
That’s where the story takes a Hollywood-like twist.
At just 23 and fresh off of being the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Purdy is 7-0 as a starter and has 16 touchdown passes while only throwing three interceptions. Although he does not run or throw for many yards each game, he is highly effective and keeps the offense going.
On the other side, as seen by their late slide in the regular season, Hurts is everything to the Eagles. He has been the league’s top dual-threat quarterback this season, completing 24 touchdown passes and adding 14 more on the ground.
Next Sunday, 49ers’ defensive end Nick Bosa, who has 18.5 sacks and may win NFL Defensive Player of the Year, will be the premier pass rusher on the field by a country mile. He has over half of the 49ers’ 44 sacks, and no one else on the team comes close to him.
In contrast, the Eagles have 70 sacks, as linemen Javon Hargrave and Josh Sweat are amongst their most elite options for a more well-balanced attack.
Bottom Line
Strong offensive lines are a strength for both teams, but the Eagles have an advantage because they can plan to avoid Bosa. Simply put, Purdy hasn’t experienced the level of pressure that this game is expected to bring, and I think we see his lack of experience finally catch up with him.
With clear advantages nearly everywhere, I like for the Eagles to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LVII in front of their home fans in this one.
Pick: Eagles -2.5 (-108)
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