Championship Week in the NFL is here! In the first game, we’ll see two extremely talented rosters as the 49ers and Eagles face off in Philadelphia with the NFC title on the line. Currently, the home team Eagles are two-point favorites and the over/under is 46.5. For Philadelphia, it’s their first time back in Championship Week since their Super Bowl run in 2018. Meanwhile, the Niners are back for the third time in four years.
The 49ers
After losing to the Rams in last year’s Conference Championship, San Francisco didn’t make too many changes to the roster in the offseason. They will, however, be coming into this game with two very notable new players in the offensive backfield. Brock Purdy is one of those guys, looking to become the first rookie quarterback to start a Super Bowl in NFL history. After breaking records and putting the league on notice in his first few games, Purdy has continued to play a very safe and sound style of play for Kyle Shanahan’s offence. He may not be Patrick Mahomes, but he’s been exactly what this team needs him to be.
The other new face is midseason acquisition Christian McCaffrey. CMC has been a huge addition to this offence and with his rushing and receiving abilities, he’s just one of the many guys on this offence that can do anything asked of them. Since he took over as the starter in Week 8, the 49ers have not lost a game. San Francisco’s elite defensive unit will always give them a chance to win, but the offence will need to be more efficient than they were last week to win this one.
The Eagles
For the Eagles, everything has just come together this season. Jalen Hurts is playing at an MVP level, the offensive and defensive lines have been some of the best in the league, and new faces like A.J Brown and James Bradberry have made massive impacts on their sides of the ball. Offensively, the Eagles are the top scoring team in the league. With Hurts’ ability to run and pass extremely effectively, defenses have had a very hard time keeping the Eagles from putting up a lot of points. It’s not just what Hurts can do that makes this team so dangerous though. The supporting cast of skill players like Brown, Devonta Smith, Miles Sanders and Dallas Goedert combined with one of the best offensive lines in the league makes for a potent offence no matter how you play them.
On the defensive side of the ball, Philadelphia’s line led the league in sacks. If there’s one thing they need to do on Sunday, it’s get to the quarterback. With a very talented secondary like the one they have, hurrying Purdy and making him throw without getting comfortable could lead to massive defensive plays for the Eagles.
49ers and Eagles – The Pick
Picking a winner in this one is TOUGH. Clearly, the 49ers and Eagles are both extremely talented teams. The Niners have the best defence in the league, but the Eagles have the best offence. They say defence wins championships, but can a rookie quarterback really go into one of the most hostile NFL environments and get a win? We think not. We’ll take the Eagles to win a close one and become the first team to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.
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