49ers vs. Eagles: 4 Niners who should feast on Philadelphia defense

No. 1: 49ers Tight End George Kittle

For most NFL tight ends, a four-catch, 78-yard performance would signify a good day.

Probably not the case for the 49ers’ own, George Kittle, though.

Kittle was his usual self in every other facet of Week 1, however, regularly serving as a tremendous run blocker and acting as a prime decoy to allow Deebo Samuel to rack up the yard totals.

But what sets Kittle up to be a primary offensive powerhouse against Philadelphia in Week 2 is the Eagles’ linebacker corps, which despite some offseason additions, still placed dead last in NBC Sports Philadelphia’s ranking of all NFC East linebacker corps entering 2021.

There’s likely to be a lot of one-on-one matchups for Kittle against Philly linebackers like Alex Singleton and Eric Wilson, as the Eagles safeties are going to have their hands full ensuring Samuel doesn’t have another one of those near 200-yard games again.

In Week 1, the Eagles did a good job limiting Falcons rookie tight end Kyle Pitts to just four catches for 31 yards. Yet considering Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan tossed just 164 yards on the day, it’s safe to say Pitts’ lack of production in his NFL debut was only part of a bigger Atlanta problem.

One which neither Kittle nor the Niners have.

San Francisco and Philadelphia kick off on Sunday, Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. ET from Lincoln Financial Field.