Eagles vs 49ers: Barkley, Hurts biggest keys to victory

Ground game is the biggest key in the Eagles vs. the 49ers Wild Card matchup

The Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers Wild Card game features many matchups that will impact the game’s outcome. None potentially bigger than the Eagles’ offense and the 49ers’ defense, though. Specifically, the Eagles rushing attack against the 49ers rush defense. Combine that with the multitude of injuries the 49ers are facing, and the pressure will be on Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and the Eagles offense line to take advantage.

49ers Rushing Defense Presents Major Opportunity

The 49ers’ defense, from an injury standpoint, is limping into the postseason. All-Pro level players Fred Warner and Nick Bosa were lost earlier in the season. The injuries have not stopped there, though. They continue to deal with injuries to all three levels of their defense. The defensive line, linebackers, and secondary are all banged up as they head to Philadelphia.

Teams have been able to exploit these weaknesses in previous weeks. In their final regular season matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers were gashed in the run game. Running backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet combined for 171 yards on 33 carries. That was good for 5.1 yards per carry. The Chicago Bears were also able to exploit this in their Week 17 matchup. Although they did not commit to the run game as much as the Seahawks did, they still ran for 110 yards on 22 carries, five yards a carry.

Throughout the course of the season, even before the injuries started piling up, opposing teams were efficient when rushing against the 49ers. While the volume numbers aren’t staggering, allowing 107.8 yards per game, they gave up 4.3 yards per carry. The 49ers were a team playing from ahead for many of their games, forcing teams away from their run game even if they had some success.

Eagles Ground Game Primed for Big Day

Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles — Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is chased down by several Bills players including Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa who forced Hurts to throw the ball away during second half action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 28, 2025.

This puts the spotlight on Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. The Eagles’ rushing attack had an up-and-down regular season. At times, it looked just as dominant as it did in their record-setting 2024 season. Other times, though, it has looked like one of the NFL’s least effective.

The Eagles have real signs of optimism heading into this matchup, though. Through the last month of the regular season, Barkley, Hurts, and company have begun to rediscover their stride. The run game has had some of its best outings of the season as of late. Running back Tank Bigsby has also come on strong as of late with an impressive performance against the Washington Commanders. Between Barkley and Bigsby, the Eagles’ running backs are not short on talent. Facing a depleted 49ers defense, these two are poised for a big performance.

Hurts More Involved in the Rushing Attack?

Hurts could be the wild card in this matchup (no pun intended). His usage as a runner in the Eagles’ offense decreased compared to other seasons. The conventional wisdom behind this was to keep Hurts healthy and have him fresh come the postseason. Now that the postseason is here, there is no excuse for the Eagles not have Hurts as a major component of the run game. The Eagles’ offense, ground game included, is much more effective when Hurts is involved.

Hurts postseason rushing numbers are very impressive. Through nine career postseason games, Hurts is averaging 42.3 rushing yards per game on 4.9 yards per carry. Hurts also has a staggering 10 rushing touchdowns in those games. This aspect has been crucial for the Eagles in the postseason, elevating their offense to a new level in years past.

The 49ers’ defense offers the Eagles a golden opportunity to exploit a major defensive weakness. Hurts and Barkley will have their opportunities to exploit a major weakness. If they are able to do this, it is difficult to imagine the Eagles not moving onto the Divisional Round.

Main Image: Amber Searls – Imagn Images