49ers Stun Eagles With Late Fourth-Quarter Response as Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey Deliver a Wild Playoff Statement
From the opening snap, it was clear the San Francisco 49ers were hunting something they have lacked for much of the season.
Explosive plays.
The kind that can flip momentum in one breath and silence a stadium in the next.
On the game’s first scoring drive, Brock Purdy finally found one.
He hit Demarcus Robinson on a deep strike that turned into a 61 yard catch and run, and the shock value only grew because the coverage came from Quinyon Mitchell, a corner not known for giving those up.
Two plays later, Purdy layered a pass into Christian McCaffrey’s hands for an 11 yard gain, and the 49ers were already dictating tempo.
The drive ended the way it began.
Robinson beat Mitchell again, this time for the touchdown, giving San Francisco an early 7 0 lead and an immediate warning that the game script would not be comfortable for Philadelphia.
Early Defensive Mistakes Open the Door for Philadelphia’s Run Game
If the 49ers’ offense started sharp, the defense opened the door with avoidable aggressiveness.
Deommodore Lenoir jumped inside early, and the Eagles punished it immediately.
Saquon Barkley was untouched down the sideline for 29 yards, a chunk play that set the tone for what would become a grinding, confidence building drive.
Lenoir then surrendered a first down catch to A J Brown, and Philadelphia stayed on schedule even when it looked momentarily stalled.
On 3rd and 3, Barkley appeared bottled up at first contact, but kept his legs alive and leaned forward for another first down.
That kind of effort play mattered, because it reflected what the Eagles have done better than almost anyone all season.
Philadelphia entered the game converting a league high 70 percent of its red zone trips into touchdowns.
Even when Garret Wallow and Ji’Ayir Brown came through unblocked on two separate snaps, neither could bring Barkley down.
A jet sweep to Dallas Goedert brought the Eagles within one, but Jake Elliott missed the extra point and the 49ers held a narrow 7 6 lead.
The Game Tightens as Both Teams Trade Missed Opportunities
San Francisco tried to exploit matchups on the next possession.
The 49ers isolated George Kittle on Mitchell, but Mitchell won the rep.
Purdy then missed a third down window to Robinson, and it looked like the throw was impacted by pressure after Trent Williams was beaten.
The result was a quick three and out, and Thomas Morstead’s punt traveled only 35 yards, giving the Eagles favorable field position and putting stress back on the defense.
That stress was immediately obvious.
The 49ers generated early down wins through Eric Kendricks and Wallow, but Lenoir was beaten again on third down to keep the drive alive.
Lenoir got what he wanted in terms of assignment responsibility, traveling with the wide receivers, but A J Brown won again for eight yards.
San Francisco’s defense did respond with toughness in situational football.
Sam Okuayinonu made a stop on 3rd and 2, and the 49ers have been excellent in short yardage all season.
The problem was the opponent.
Philadelphia plays the game like it has four downs on every series.
Even after the Eagles had gone 0 for their previous seven fourth down attempts, San Francisco could not assume anything.
A crucial moment arrived when Upton Stout undercut DeVonta Smith’s route and forced an incompletion, making Philadelphia 0 for 8 on fourth downs, a massive defensive win that should have changed the game.
Instead, the 49ers wasted the gift.
They had prime field position, but the offense could not capitalize.
Jauan Jennings had no answers against Cooper DeJean, and even when Purdy scrambled on third down, nobody shook free.
The drive ended quickly, and Jennings’ second down target was officially recorded as a drop.
That failure to score after a major stop felt like the type of missed opportunity that tends to resurface later.
Eagles Lean on Barkley, Hurts, and a Relentless Run Identity
Morstead pinned Philadelphia at the six yard line, but the field position did not matter.
The Eagles opened the drive with gains of 7, 7, 9, and 5 yards, moving like a team that knew exactly what it wanted.
After an incompletion and a Ji’Ayir Brown tackle near the line, the 49ers forced a 3rd and 10, then a false start pushed it to 3rd and 15.
It still did not end.
With no pressure, DeVonta Smith gained 14 yards, and the sequence had the unmistakable feel of a backbreaker.
Then came the inevitable.
Jalen Hurts converted the follow up with a tush push, and the 49ers were right back on the field.
Barkley then ripped off 20 more yards on a screen, and Tank Bigsby powered the offense into the red zone and down to the 10.
By the midpoint of the second quarter, the Eagles were averaging nearly six yards per carry and flirting with 100 rushing yards, a sign the front seven was being bent in uncomfortable ways.
Kendricks did deliver a tackle for loss that forced 3rd and 5, but on 4th and 2, Malik Mustapha was beaten in coverage for a touchdown.
A flag was thrown and then picked up, and Philadelphia took a 13 7 lead, a pivotal swing that highlighted how fine the line can be in playoff football.
To make matters worse, Ji’Ayir Brown limped off with a hamstring injury and was listed questionable to return.
Kittle Goes Down, but the 49ers Find Life Through Jennings and Robinson
The 49ers’ next drive began with a gut punch.
George Kittle went down on the first play with what appeared to be an Achilles injury, a devastating development given his importance to both the passing game and the run structure.
Yet the offense responded.
Jennings answered with a 45 yard reception, injecting urgency back into the sideline.
McCaffrey slipped on 3rd and 1, and Kyle Shanahan chose the conservative path, taking points.
Eddy Pineiro drilled the field goal to make it 13 10, keeping the game within a single possession and preserving belief.
The defense then delivered its best sequence.
Rookie Marques Sigle made a first down tackle, then sprinted back to help Lenoir break up a deep ball on third and long.
Renardo Green forced an incompletion against A J Brown, and the Eagles finally had to punt.
A Late Half Collapse Turns a Scoring Chance Into a Zero
Robinson continued to carry San Francisco’s wide receiver room.
After Purdy was sacked, Robinson beat Adoree Jackson on a comeback route for a first down, a play that mattered because it extended possession and created a chance to steal points before the break.
But the execution fell apart at the worst time.
Malik Turner and Kendrick Bourne could not get aligned, forcing the 49ers to burn their final timeout.
Shanahan dialed up a creative concept to close the half, but Purdy fumbled, and the clock ran out.
At halftime, Purdy’s passing success rate sat at 47 percent compared to 50 percent for Hurts, but Purdy’s EPA per dropback was higher at .42 versus .22.
The difference, however, was turnovers and missed scoring chances.
Quinyon Mitchell Flips the Game With Two Interceptions
The 49ers forced a three and out to open the second half, but field position immediately became a problem.
Skyy Moore fielded a punt at the five yard line, putting the offense in a difficult spot.
San Francisco earned some relief when Jennings drew a personal foul, and Robinson again beat Jackson for 14 yards.
But then Purdy made a costly mistake.
He was late targeting Moore, with Mitchell in coverage.
The throw floated, and Mitchell intercepted it easily, crushing a potential game tying drive and reinforcing the core issue of the night.
Explosive plays were there.
But so were preventable errors.
Defense Bends, Holds, and Keeps the 49ers Alive
After the interception, the 49ers’ defense did something essential.
It prevented damage.
A holding call backed Philadelphia up, and on 3rd and 19, the defense got off the field, marking three consecutive three and outs forced by San Francisco.
The offense, though, remained inconsistent.
McCaffrey managed one yard on a carry, then Purdy’s third down attempt to McCaffrey sailed high, forcing another punt.
Morstead’s punt traveled only 25 yards, and the Eagles started near midfield.
The 49ers responded with toughness up front.
C J West, Kendricks, Sigle, and Bryce Huff all produced tackles for loss on the drive, but Philadelphia still found conversions on third down and settled for a 41 yard Elliott field goal to make it 16 10.
McCaffrey’s Career Deepest Air Yards Touchdown Changes the Entire Script
San Francisco finally found rhythm again when Kyle Juszczyk got loose for 27 yards after the catch, setting the offense on the edge of scoring range heading into the fourth.
With the wind at their backs, Shanahan went for a trick play.
Jennings threw to McCaffrey, and it worked for a touchdown that instantly flipped the emotional temperature of the game.
Per Next Gen Stats, it was the deepest touchdown reception by air yards of McCaffrey’s career.
The defense forced another punt.
The opportunity was obvious.
Take control.
Instead, Purdy again left the door open.
His pass to Jake Tonges floated late, and Mitchell picked it off for his second interception, an inopportune decision at the most dangerous point in the game.
Late Penalty and Elliott Field Goal Put Eagles Back in Front
Mistakes compounded quickly.
The first 49ers penalty arrived at the worst possible moment.
Sigle was flagged for a late hit as Hurts slid, putting the Eagles into field goal range.
Elliott converted from 33 yards to give Philadelphia a 19 17 lead, and the game again demanded a response from Purdy and the offense.
Purdy and McCaffrey Deliver the Finishing Drive
Robinson again produced, crossing 100 yards with a 16 yard gain into Eagles territory.
Shanahan hit a timely screen, and McCaffrey delivered chunk yardage.
A holding penalty on Tonges erased what would have been a Purdy sack and kept the drive alive.
Juszczyk made a difficult catch on a throw behind him, and Jennings nearly had a touchdown but could not bring in the second down goal target.
On 3rd and goal, Purdy extended the play and found McCaffrey in the end zone to give the 49ers a 23 19 lead, though Pineiro missed the extra point.
Defense Closes It Out as 49ers Survive the Ebbs and Flows
Philadelphia had one last push.
On 3rd and 5, Brown had separation on Lenoir but could not finish the catch.
The Eagles went for it on 4th and 5, converting when Goedert beat Mustapha.
DeVonta Smith added two first downs, and Philadelphia was within striking distance.
Then the moment arrived.
Smith dropped a 3rd and 11, and the game came down to 4th and 11.
Kendricks got into the throwing lane and nearly intercepted the pass, sealing a game defined by swings, mistakes, and resilience.
The Numbers Tell a Clear Story: Defense Was the Anchor, Purdy Was the Swing
The 49ers outgained the Eagles, and Philadelphia went just 5 for 16 on third downs, a credit to the defensive plan and execution in key moments.
The defense also forced two turnovers and held the Eagles to 19 points, a performance that deserves recognition in a game with constant pressure.
Purdy turned it over twice with interceptions, but he also delivered the game winning drive when the margin for error disappeared.
In a season where explosive plays have been hard to come by, the 49ers found them, survived the chaos, and left Philadelphia with a statement win.
If this was supposed to be a test of whether San Francisco could win a high variance playoff game, the answer arrived in the most dramatic way possible.
They did.
