How Kyle Shanahan put the Eagles defense under the microscope today The Niners are in a great spot to beat the Eagles today NFC Championship – San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Some things in football never change. To succeed, you must stop the run and finish the ball.
The Eagles and San Francisco 49ers are both ranked in the top ten in defense and top three in offense. The Philadelphia Eagles’ playoff run is causing confusion within the College Football Playoff committee.
It’s 5-0 at the halfway mark this season. They have trailed after two quarters in each of their last four wins. The Eagles have had some impressive accomplishments over the past month.
They are only the fourth team in NFL history to win four straight games after halftime. They are the first team to win their first four games after trailing by close to 10 points.
Earlier this week, Kyle Shanahan said, “It makes no sense” why the 49ers are favored on the road against the big bad Eagles. Philly’s point differential on the season is +64.
The 49ers are +140. Philadelphia’s mark is the team’s second-worst 10-1 or better mark in 11 games since the Raiders in the 1960s. That should clear up the confusion, Kyle.
Today is the third game in 13 days for the Eagles. And they play their rivals in a week. The Niners aren’t perfect, but if you’re inclined to think the three-game losing streak was more of a figment of your imagination, you’re not alone.
In reality, your three most critical offensive starters were injured and your defensive line was playing E-tank. It’s not about minimizing turnovers, missed shots, shots and anything else that went wrong.
But there are unicorns on this list. There isn’t another Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams or Christian McCaffrey in the league. And we’ve already seen what an improved Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave look like.
The 49ers offense hasn’t been shut down all season. Even during the losing streak, it remained among the best of the league in success with 57 percent. Brock Purdy continued to be in the top 10 for creating explosive plays. Goodbye, sales are down.
And would you watch it? The Kyle Shanahan-led offense, which features an aggressive quarterback who can throw to arguably the best backup roles in the NFL, is back to absurd numbers and efficiency now that they’re healthy.
Putting the Eagles defense under the microscope Every week we see the 49ers march down the field and put points on the scoreboard during the opening drive.
Most of the damage occurs in the middle of the field. Where are the Eagles vulnerable on defense? You guessed it, tap in the middle. Philadelphia ranks 26th in DVOA when defending the pass over the middle of the field.
This is a seasonal measure, so it includes quarterbacks Zack Cunningham — who may not play today — and Nakobe Dean, who is on injured reserve. The Eagles are looking for help at linebacker, where they host Shaquille Leonard, who was released by the Colts last week.
Philadelphia has allowed the third most EPA this season. This is not an offense you want to play where it is. So we’re looking at Nicholas Morrow, who was only targeted four times or a couple of backups all season. Or defense against Kittle.
Reed Blankenship is by no means a bad player. But he’s 24 and not a player you want to get 1-1 against George Kittle. The Eagles went out and got Kevin Byard.
The bills went to him. Byard gave up 61 yards and a touchdown and had all five targets to go. A week earlier, he gave up another touchdown and six of his eight targets were accomplished.
A week earlier in Dallas, Byard had three receptions for 71 yards on four targets. Knowing what he couldn’t do or play against the Eagles a season ago, and how his players will feel going into this Week 13 matchup, Shanahan will dig deep into his pocket to take full advantage of the 49ers’ differences between differences
. Brandon Aiyuki’s season has been a roller coaster as he has over 100 receiving yards in one game and just shy of 50 in the next. Here are Aiyuki’s stats for the last five games. It is listed by receptions, then yards, and the third number is touchdowns:
Week 7: 5/57 Week 8: 5/109 Week 10: 3/55/1 Week 11: 5/156/1 Week 12: 2/50/1 The Eagles are dead last in the NFL in EPA allowed outside receivers. They rank 27th in DVOA when defending WR2s. Bills running back Gabe Davis had more yards against Philadelphia last week than he had in the previous three games combined.
A month ago, quarterback Jahan Dotson had 108 yards on eight receptions. Two weeks ago, CeeDee Lamb was nine feet short of 200! When you get a 1-1 play, your eyes naturally turn to the best receiver.
Aiyuki should also get a lot of volume, as the Eagles have the sixth-ranked male quarterback in the NFL, according to Sports Info Solutions.
James Bradberry has allowed the ninth-
highest passer rating against tight ends
this year, which explains why
Philadelphia struggles against WR2s.
His teammate Darius Slay has the 12th
ranked passer rating. EPA is a statistic
that accounts for giving up big plays or
plays that lead directly to points. Slay
allowed the 11th EPA goal of the season.
Bradberry is 26 years old.
Now it’s still Shanahan’s offense and he’s
running the ball. How could you not, with
the number 23 in the backfield? You won’t
mistake the Bills or Cowboys for a
“management first team.”
And neither is Patrick Mahomes’ team.
Trending metrics give the best picture of
what a team is like today. And from the
8th week
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