What was supposed to be the duel of the year at the national conference quickly took on the appearance of a massacre. The 49ers sent quite a message by ridiculing the Eagles in one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries.
• Also read: The Texans, soon to be the team of the moment?
The 49ers had the upper hand, 42-19, and on top of a difficult first quarter in which they didn’t complete a single pass and finished with -6 yards of offense, they let off the steamroller.
After that unforgettable first quarter, Brock Purdy opened the scoring by completing nine of his 11 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter. He finished the game with 314 yards and four touchdowns, giving him a total of 23 touchdown passes with just six interceptions this season.
Considering that midway through the season, when the 49ers had lost three games, some pranksters started asking head coach Kyle Shanahan if he was thinking about changing quarterbacks. It is enough to expand the spleen a few weeks later!
Today the 49ers are 9-3 and the Eagles slip to 10-2 because of this rare misstep. Their lead at the top of the national conference is shrinking. That’s not taking into account the fact that they travel to Dallas next week for a major division shock against the Cowboys (9-3). Suddenly things could get really complicated.
That the 49ers were able to pull off such a convincing victory on hostile soil in Philadelphia, in one of the most hostile environments anywhere, sends a clear message. In good French, they’re not there to fool around with.
A sweet revenge
Dr. Greenlaw clashed with Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and Dom DiSandro. Getty Images via AFP
The mutual hatred was palpable throughout the entire meeting. There have been several skirmishes and we feel like there is no love between these two teams.
Last January, the same two rivals faced Philadelphia in the National Conference Finals, but the 49ers’ quarterback was injured and the Eagles took control.
Since then, players from both clans have insulted each other through the media and the Niners have vowed on several occasions that the outcome would be different with a real, functioning quarterback.
Tensions particularly rose when 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw was sent off after assaulting a member of the Eagles’ coaching staff.
For his part, Deebo Samuel allowed himself to treat rival cornerback James Bradberry as trash. There is no question of honoring his words, but we must give him one credit. He backed up his words with a crazy match. It’s one thing to drool, another to show up.
Samuel finished the game with four receptions for 116 yards and two touchdowns, as well as three carries for 22 yards and another touchdown.
Strikes from everywhere
Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown and rushed for 93 yards. Getty Images via AFP
Carrier Christian McCaffrey once again led the attack with 137 yards from the line of scrimmage and a touchdown.
He also became the third player in history with 50 rushing touchdowns and 25 passing touchdowns. It is high time that he is included in the discussion for the title of “Most Valuable Player”. If two players from the same team, in this case McCaffrey and Purdy, could be selected, that says a lot.
This is where the 49ers’ great strength lies. Strikes can come from anywhere. Purdy has a knack for catching his receivers in full swing, and they excel at gaining yards after the catch. Additionally, the team ranks fifth in the league with 57 explosive plays of more than 20 yards.
And if it’s not the party for Purdy, Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk, it’s McCaffrey doing the party. All that, not to mention their fabulous defense, which has had 18 quarterback sacks in the last four games.
As for the Eagles, there is reason to believe they had a bad system in place. We would sign the contract immediately to see these two teams in the conference finals in January.
5 KEY MOMENTS
1. We build bombs!
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Like Pagliaro’s old hit, the Dolphins are building bombs, more and more bombs! They were ruthless against the Commanders in a 45-15 win in which Tyreek Hill scored two touchdowns with bombs of 78 yards and 60 yards. The receiver now has 20 career touchdowns of 60 yards or more, something only four other players have achieved before him (Bobby Mitchell, Devin Hester, Jerry Rice and DeSean Jackson). Hill finished the game with 5 receptions for 157 yards. The march toward a record-setting 2,000-yard season is well underway.
2. The Colts at the last minute
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It took overtime and several crazy plays, including a touchdown on a blocked punt, for the Colts to defeat the Titans in overtime. After a field goal gave the Titans a 28-25 lead in overtime, the Colts orchestrated a quick, five-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a pass from Gardner Minshew to Michael Pittman for the game-winning touchdown. The Colts are 7-5 and would make the playoffs if they started today. Who saw this coming?
3. Mike Evans flies away
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It’s no surprise that the Buccaneers beat the Panthers, but it was veteran receiver Mike Evans who drew the attention. He scored his 10th touchdown of the season on a long play of 75 yards and then reached the 1,000-yard plateau in a season for the tenth consecutive time. In fact, he has never had a season with fewer than 1,000 yards and he is a real metronome. The most amazing thing is that before this game, his quarterback, Baker Mayfield, had only amassed 93 yards on 21 passes. Sometimes all it takes is one game to completely change your perception.
4. The defense stands up
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The Falcons didn’t play a spectacular game against the Jets, but their defense took control and pulled out a big win. Trailing 13-8 at the end of the third quarter, the Jets were muzzled afterward and gained just 76 yards on their final five offensive drives. One of them ended with an interception and another with a fumble on a quarterback sack. On the Jets’ final attempt, Arnold Ebiketie made a huge quarterback sack that plunged the opposing offense into an impossible four-down situation. The Falcons (6-6) remain top of their division and the Saints (5-7) lost.
5. No magic
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The Patriots finally defeated Mac Jones, but quarterback Bailey Zappe’s performance hasn’t helped us forget the misery of the last few weeks. The second-year quarterback completed just 13 of 25 passes for 141 yards and the offense was shut out. The Patriots still had a chance to win at the end of the game, but Zappe only completed one of his five passes in that final sequence. Even the Patriots’ rare threatening plays came to nothing, such as a long pass that Tyquan Thornton couldn’t control.
WINNER OF THE WEEK
1. The 49ers
The 49ers racked up 456 yards and scored touchdowns in each of their four appearances in the pay zone against the Eagles’ big machine. Clearly the most convincing performance of the weekend!
2. Sam LaPorta
What an excellent second-round pick by the Lions in the last draft! Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta set a team record at his position with 140 yards on nine receptions.
3. Matthew Stafford
The veteran Rams quarterback was solid against the Browns’ excellent defense with 279 yards and three touchdowns. Fellow rookie receiver Puka Nacua reached the 1,000-yard mark but did not finish the game due to a rib injury.
4. The Texans
Big win against the Broncos! The core is very young with CJ Stroud (22 years), Tank Dell and Nico Collins (24 years), Will Anderson Jr (22 years) and Derek Stingley (22 years). The Texans will be dominant within two years.
5. Mike Evans
What we didn’t tell you about his 10th straight 1,000-yard season is that no other receiver before him started their career with more than six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. However, apart from Tom Brady, he didn’t often have the opportunity to rely on really good quarterbacks.
LOSER OF THE WEEK
1. The Patriots
For the third week in a row, the Patriots gave up less than 10 points to the opposing offense. And for the third week in a row they lost. Do you realize how heinous their attack is? Sorry, there is no other word.
2. The Steelers
They not only lost their duel against the poor Cardinals, but also the services of quarterback Kenny Pickett. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who had just returned to the game, suffered a broken hand.
3. The Jets
Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, Trevor Siemian, it’s all the same. If this team had even the slightest bit of competence at quarterback, a defense like this would guarantee they would be in the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers may be coming back, but it’s too late.
4. Russell Wilson
The Broncos’ quarterback was hounded by the Texans’ defense all day, sacked three times and hit eight times. In his rush to hit the mark, he made three interceptions, including a fatal one in the end zone at the very end of the game by Jimmie Ward.
5. Derek Carr
After a difficult first quarter, the Saints pivot had some good moments against the Lions when he was violently thrown to the ground by Bruce Irvin. He had to leave the game to be checked for a concussion, a shoulder injury and a back injury. We feel sorry for him…