49ers vs. Eagles: 5 stats that decide NFC Championship game
By Peter Panacy
49ers vs. Eagles stat No. 3: Red-zone touchdown efficiency
San Francisco and Philadelphia can both run the ball, and both teams have elite-level weapons out on the perimeter, especially when looking at the impressive combined foursome of wide receivers like Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Brandon Aiyuk.
That’s an all-star kind of cast there between the two squads.
However, what’ll ultimately matter is which of those stars wind up finding pay dirt in the end zone, and this is a spot where Philly has a clear advantage.
Related Story: Eagles have these glaring advantages over 49ers in NFC Championship
In terms of red-zone offense, the Eagles finished third in touchdown efficiency during the regular season, whereas the 49ers ranked 20th. And, despite the Niners owning the best scoring defense in the league, coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ unit still struggled somewhat down inside the red zone, allowing touchdowns at a rate that equated to 18th best in the NFL.
Philly’s red-zone defense, meanwhile, was 11th best.
It’s pretty clear Philadelphia holds the advantage here, but one game can easily buck the yearlong trends of what took place up to this point.
San Francisco hopes that to be the case, at least.