49ers vs. Eagles: 3 players who take over NFC Championship game

No. 1: 49ers DL Arik Armstead

The third individual that should be a big-impact player on Sunday is defensive lineman Arik Armstead.

He missed eight games this season, however, he worked his way slowly back into form in the last six games of the regular season.

He got to Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith in his first playoff game this postseason and picked up a sack. He finished that game with one sack, one tackle for a loss and one QB hit.

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Armstead had a quieter game against the Cowboys, however, with no tackles for a loss nor any sacks, although he did have a chance to sack quarterback Dak Prescott in the endzone for a safety on what would’ve been Dallas’ final drive of the game. He eased up and wound up not making the play due to the fear of a roughing-the-passer penalty.

All things considered, though, his impact on the field cannot be understated, because even when he’s not picking up stats he’s making a difference on the field.

Look for Armstead to be that difference-maker on Sunday in stopping the run and with the pass rush. Don’t be surprised if he has a stat line of 1.5 sacks and two tackles for a loss.