49ers' Key Matchups to Beat Eagles in NFC Championship

For the second season in a row, the San Francisco 49ers are just one game away from playing in the Super Bowl.

Last year's team made it to the NFC Championship Game and even held a 17-7 lead over the Los Angeles Rams going into the fourth quarter.

This year, they will look to earn redemption against the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that matches the hottest team in the league against the one with the best record.

At this point in the postseason, it's always two elite teams on show. But there are specific matchups that are bound to have an outsized effect on the outcome.

Let's take a look at three key matchups the 49ers will have to win or exploit if they want to take the next step and avoid last year's fate.

49ers Offensive Line vs. Eagles Defensive Line

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Trent Williams leads a good 49ers offensive line.

The 49ers' offensive line has been a pretty solid unit all season. Anchored by Trent Williams at left tackle, it has only surrendered pressure on 16.2 percent of dropbacks on the season.

The 31 sacks they gave up were the sixth-best total in the NFL.

They didn't face a pass rush as good as the one it will see on Sunday, though. The Eagles' defensive front was the most productive group and led the league with 70 sacks. The Chiefs were a distant second-place at 55.

The strength of the Eagles' pass rush comes in its incredible depth. Haason Reddick, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham all had double-digit sacks.

They have the personnel to give any offensive line the jitters because it isn't a matter of just scheming against one dominant rusher. They force you to win one-on-one matchups.

For a unit that gave up nine hurries on 33 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF, against the Cowboys a week ago, there's reason for concern here.

Brock Purdy needs to be prepared with a quick plan if there is pressure on him.

Brock Purdy vs. Eagles Secondary

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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Levi's Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Even if the Niners' offensive line is able to handle the Philly pass rush, it's still going to be imperative for Brock Purdy to make the right decisions and deliver good passes against a really good secondary.

The arrival of James Bradberry and C.J. Gardner-Johnson transformed the Philadelphia secondary from a weakness to a strength. The group has surrendered the third-lowest passer rating on the season (81.6).

With 17 interceptions and 85 passes defended, the back half of the defense wasn't just a byproduct of a great pass rush. It made some plays on its own to make the Eagles one of the most complete defenses in the league.

Of course, the Niners also have one of the top defenses in the NFL, so there's a good chance this turns into a slugfest.

That will only serve to really put the pressure on Brock Purdy to play a good game. He has answered the bell in two straight playoff games, but there was a definite drop-off against the Cowboys.

After throwing for 332 yards and three touchdowns against Seattle, the 23-year-old had just 214 yards and no touchdowns with no interceptions against the Cowboys.

The Cowboys defense was better than the Seattle version, but the Eagles defense is on an even higher level. How Purdy responds could well decide the game.

Jalen Hurts vs. 49ers Linebackers

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How Fred Warner and the Niners defense handle Jalen Hurts will be key.

Brock Purdy has a tough matchup against the Eagles defense, but the same can be said for Jalen Hurts against the 49ers', especially linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.

Warner is the second-highest graded linebacker by PFF this season, while Greenlaw wasn't far behind at No. 6. The 49ers have a great defensive line anchored by Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, but the linebackers could be key in containing Hurts.

Much like Purdy, Hurts' stat line wasn't all that impressive despite a win in the second round. He had just 154 passing yards on 16-of-24 passing, and he was limited as a runner to 34 yards on nine carries.

It's hard to hold that against him in a 38-7 blowout, but he'll need to be much better to put up points against the San Francisco defense.

Those rushing totals should be concerning for Eagles fans. It's not a lot of help on the ground coming off of his shoulder surgery when he averaged 11 carries and 50 rushing yards per game in the regular season.

For the Eagles' offense to be as scary as it can be and have success, Hurts has to be able to run the football. But once he breaks past the line of scrimmage, he has to outrun Warner and Greenlaw.

Both have the athleticism to shut him down as a runner, which would be a huge win for the Niners' chance of playing again in two weeks.