NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: EAGLES 31, 49ERS 7
GAME REVIEW OFFENSE
JSave for the Christian McCaffrey TD drive, the 49ers’ offense was rendered toothless halfway through the first quarter when Brock Purdy’s right arm was smashed — and Josh Johnson wasn’t the answer. Johnson’s lost fumble with 1:11 to play in the second quarter was crushing (and he was later knocked out of the game with a concussion). On their lone TD drive, McCaffrey accounted for 44 of the 46 yards, the final 23 on a highlight-reel scoring run. The 49ers racked up 505 yards of offense against Seattle in the wild-card round and 312 last week against the Cowboys; on Sunday, they managed just 164 yards and 11 first downs. McCaffrey rushed for 84 yards and had four catches (for 22 yards), but George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk combined for just seven catches for 75 yards.
DEFENSE
LPenalties, penalties, penalties ... and for good measure, more penalties. The Eagles’ two TDs in the final two minutes of the first half were yellow-flag assisted: three on the go-ahead TD drive (Jimmie Ward, pass interference; T.Y. McGill, illegal use of hands; Charvarius Ward, illegal contact) and one on a drive that made it 21-7. (Dre Greenlaw, facemask), all of which resulted in first downs. The Eagles had more first downs via penalties (seven) than passing (six). The flags overwhelmed an otherwise stellar effort. The Eagles held the ball for 37:26, but Jalen Hurts passed for just 121 yards and the Eagles needed 44 carries to gain 148 rushing yards.
SPECIAL TEAMS L
The defense doesn’t bear the entire burden for untimely penalties. Reserve RB Jordan Mason was flagged for roughing the kicker when the Eagles had been forced to punt. That drive was extended and resulted in a turn-out-the-lights TD to make it 28-7. The 49ers’ most successful way of moving the ball came on kick returns: Samuel (2 for 65) and Ray-Ray McCloud (1 for 42) averaged 35.7 yards.
COACHING
KThere was a reason the Eagles hurried up to run their next play after Davonta Smith’s tremendous one-handed catch converted a fourth down on the game-opening drive: it wasn’t a catch. But Kyle Shanahan didn’t challenge the call and two plays later Philly scored. It was also a curious decision, paid for dearly, to have non-linemen try to block Haason Reddick — his sack/forced fumble initially knocked Purdy from the game. Once Purdy was rendered unproductive, Shanahan was essentially the captain of a ship without an engine.
OVERALL K
You need only watch the clip of Trent Williams body-slamming the Eagles’ K’Von Wallace late in the fourth quarter to know what kind of afternoon it was for the 49ers. “Frustrating” likely doesn’t describe the feelings held by a Super Bowl-contending team forced to play 3½ quarters without a healthy starting quarterback. The circumstances are much different, but this loss joins the pain pantheon already occupied by the Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs three years ago and last season’s dropped-interception defeat against the Rams in the NFC Championship Game.