Deebo Samuel screamed so much after last season’s NFC championship game that the box score almost needed a double-check to ensure that, yes, the 49ers did lose to the Eagles.
Samuel referred to one Eagles cornerback as “trash” and described Philadelphia as his “most-hated” team in the NFL. For good measure, Samuel and his teammates arrived Sunday dressed in black, possibly a foreshadowing of the Eagles’ grim day ahead.
Samuel followed up his big mouth with a spectacular performance that demonstrated the 49ers still have plenty of room to compete for the NFC’s top spot.
In San Francisco’s 42-19 victory over Philadelphia, Brock Purdy threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns, Samuel scored three touchdowns, and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was examined for a concussion.
The ferocious NFC championship game rematch also featured six consecutive 49ers touchdowns and a pair of ejections, indicating that this year’s title game might not pass through Philly after all.
“There wasn’t much to last year with this,” said Niners coach Kyle Shanahan. “We were just excited to come out here and play a really good team and play well and get a win.”
The 49ers (9-3) left Philadelphia battered in the NFC title game 10 months ago after injuries to Purdy and his backup, and they never had a chance in a 31-7 loss. The 49ers spent the offseason mocking the Birds – Samuel referred to James Bradberry as “trash” – before entering the Linc as a rare betting favorite against a 10-win team at home.
“Talking trash, it’s part of the game,” Samuel explained. “Hopefully, no one took it seriously. At the end of the day, it’s all in good humor.”
It wasn’t much fun for the Eagles
Hurts jogged off the field in the fourth quarter and headed directly to the locker room, giving the Eagles (10-2) a scare. He was given the all-clear and returned to the game. When Hurts was hurt was not immediately obvious. He refused to go into detail about the injury.
When last year’s NFL MVP runner-up returned, the Eagles were down 35-13 and on their way to their first home loss of the season. Hurts did connect with DeVonta Smith for a 2-yard touchdown on his return drive. He completed 26 of 45 passes for 298 yards. Purdy sealed the victory with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Samuel.
Greenlaw was dragged off Smith after a reception by Dom DiSandro, a regular presence on the Eagles’ sideline. Greenlaw sprang up and stretched across two officials to close his fist on DiSandro’s face.
Greenlaw was kicked out. DiSandro, a cult icon in Philadelphia for his constant presence while the Eagles are on the field, was also told to leave and headed to the locker room to a standing ovation.
“I love how we rallied after,” Shanahan said.
The Eagles offered few other reasons cheer
Purdy exploited a defense that left receivers open for long stretches of the game. Samuel also scored a 12-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter and received a 48-yard TD pass from Purdy, extending a 14-6 halftime advantage to 28-13.
Purdy enjoyed Samuel’s addition of spice to an already anticipated rematch.
“In the locker room, maybe he was saying stuff that was fun for us to hear,” said Purdy. “Was there anything unusual about it?” Deebo’s name is Deebo. His performance did the rest.”
It sure did. Samuel turned just four catches into 116 yards. The scores were clutch in any game, of course. But they kept an Eagles offense that made a habit of halftime rallies at bay and sucked the atmosphere out of the Linc.
The Eagles turned halftime deficits into wins in each of the last four games – including a Super Bowl rematch at Kansas City – and five times overall this season. The Eagles have been outscored 144-156 in the first half this season.
One pesky detail among all those comebacks – Philly never trailed against Shanahan. The 49ers are 33-1 (including playoffs) when leading by eight-plus points at the break under Shanahan.
Hurts helped the Eagles get inside the 20-yard line in the first half, connecting with A.J. Brown for 38 yards on the first drive and Brown for 17 yards on the second. Instead, the Eagles had to settle with Jake Elliott field goals of 26 and 39 yards to take a 6-0 lead.
“Typically, when you play to the standard, you win,” Hurts said in a statement. “I don’t think we’ve played to the standard and won.”
The 49ers never really looked back – and maybe the black attire was fitting for this rout, even as Samuel insisted otherwise.
“It’s just the outfit,” he said, laughing. “It all clicked. The fit came together well.”
