Perhaps- we should have seen it coming. Perhaps we should have realized that all of the inefficiencies that plagued the Eagles all season were not going to evaporate in the playoffs. That the issues that we’ve seen all season in play-calling and execution — would just miraculously be fixed? But perhaps the most shocking revelation of Sunday’s 23–19 NFC Wildcard Playoff loss by the Eagles at the hands of the 49ers was that when the game came down to a great fourth quarter performance by a franchise running back — it wasn’t by Saquon Barkley.
In an NFC Wildcard Game at Lincoln Financial Field that once again opened with rising tensions between the 49ers and the Eagles at the coin toss — it was San Francisco who struck first with a two-yard connection between Brock Purdy and Demarcus Robinson. The Eagles answered right back with a one-yard Dallas Goedert rushing touchdown but a missed PAT from Jake Elliott. In the second quarter — Goedert capped off a drive highlighted by the running of Saquon Barkley with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Hurts. On the next 49ers drive — George Kittle exited with an Achilles injury. The 49ers had a chance to add points before halftime but a field goal try evaporated with a Brock Purdy fumble.
The 49ers came onin the second half. The Eagles did not. The Eagles failed to score touchdowns on two Quinyon Mitchell interceptions.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter — Christian McCaffrey grabbed a 29-yard touchdown pass from Jauan Jennings on a trick play. With 8:40 left in the game — the Eagles did rally and pull ahead 19–17. But with under 3 minutes left in the game — McCaffrey caught a four-yard strike from Purdy but missed the PAT.
With 43 seconds left — the Eagles drove down to the 49ers twenty-one yard line — only to fail to convert on a 4th and 11. The drive included multiple dropped passes to end the Eagles season.
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