Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers in NFL Week 13
The 49ers’ reaction in the visiting locker room following their game against the Eagles on Sunday was very different than their reaction in January after losing in the NFC Championship at Lincoln Financial Field.
This time, the 49ers erupted in celebration after defeating the reigning NFC champs 42-19 in the same stadium. On Sunday, San Francisco sent a message to the rest of the NFC: Philadelphia is no longer the top team in the conference. Instead, they should be the NFC favorites.
San Francisco had taken its starters out of the game by the end of the fourth quarter. What was the primary difference between this game and the last time these two teams met?
“Definitely having a quarterback,” said 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
After fighting about who was the better team during the offseason, 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk believes this victory justified their belief that if quarterback Brock Purdy hadn’t torn his UCL in last year’s showdown, they would have won.
Purdy completed 19 of 27 throws for 314 yards and four touchdowns against Philadelphia’s secondary in the rematch. The Eagles were unable to stop him from taking them apart for the majority of the game. In addition, the 49ers rushed for 146 yards against one of the league’s best defensive fronts.
The hostility between the two teams rose after 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel labeled Eagles cornerback James Bradberry “trash” in an appearance on the “I Am Athlete” podcast days after the NFC Championship.
Earlier this week, Samuel told reporters that he did not “regret” his remarks regarding Bradberry. The 2021 first-team All-Pro ended with four receptions for 116 yards and two touchdowns, as well as 22 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Samuel sailed by Philadelphia’s defenders many times, including a 48-yard touchdown in the third quarter that put San Francisco up 28-13.
Samuel’s performance helped to quiet the Philadelphia crowd, which had cleared out by the fourth quarter. When asked about the comments made by Eagles fans about Samuel, Aiyuk stated, “They ain’t having nothing to say.”
San Francisco’s comments throughout the summer irritated the Philadelphia locker room.
“You know, not much has happened this season. Speaking is inexpensive. They get to return to The Linc, you know. Last year was a lot of boo hoos, a lot of crying, a lot of what if, a lot of this and a lot of that. “They get a chance to come back here, line that s*** up, and prove it again,” Eagles defensive end Haason Reddick said this week on KYW Radio.
The two teams’ pre-game trash talk continued over into the contest. During pre-game warm-ups, San Francisco purposefully disrupted Philadelphia’s defensive back exercises by running through them. In the third quarter, 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw was expelled after punching Eagles security head Dom DiSandro, who was also ejected as a result of this altercation.
“I just can’t believe someone who isn’t even involved in a football game can taunt our players like that and put their hands in our guys’ faces,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game.
Former Commanders defensive end Chase Young, who was dealt to the 49ers at the NFL trade deadline, stated that they worked harder on each snap. The Eagles ultimately wore out, according to the 2020 first-round pick.
“We knew if we kept pressing, pressing, pressing, they’d fight or give up,” Young told NJ Advance Media. “So we just kept doing our best, you know, playing fast and just playing our butts off.”
