The 49ers and Eagles meet up this Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. Here, we take a look at three players who might take over the game.
The San Francisco 49ers head to Lincoln Financial Field this Sunday to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. After all the smoke has settled, the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the NFC remain, both hoping to punch their tickets to Super Bowl LVII.
The Eagles, of course, had a statement win in their divisional-round game against their division-rival New York Giants, blowing them out 38-7.
The Niners also had a statement game against the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round in which they won a defensive battle 19-12.
Some notables from that game were linebacker Fred Warner, who led the team with seven solo tackles and an interception. On the offensive side of the ball, tight end George Kittle made one of the most impressive catches and stayed focused as he tried to one-hand grab the ball, and it tipped it off of his facemask and then completed the catch.
Kittle finished the game with five receptions and 95 receiving yards.
This week will likely be a more difficult task, with the Eagles being one of the best teams throughout the 2022 regular season. The 49ers have been in lockstep with them though.
For reference, in the regular season, the Eagles defense ranked No. 2 with 301.5 yards allowed per game, while San Francisco ranked No. 1 with 300.6 yards allowed per game.
On offense, the 49ers ranked No. 5 in total yards with 365.6 yards per game. The Eagles ranked No. 3 with 389.1 yards per game.
Both teams are excellent on both sides of the ball.
Let’s take a look at three players that will take over on Sunday for the 49ers.
No. 3: 49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir
One player who should have a big game on Sunday is cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, who has had big games in each of the team’s first two games this postseason.
Lenoir had four solo tackles, one pass defended and one interception against the Seattle Seahawks in their Wild Card playoff game. Coincidentally, he followed up that performance with another one consisting of four solo tackles, one pass defended and one interception against the Cowboys.
Now, all things considered, the Eagles should be passing a lot on Sunday. They ran the ball 44 times for 268 yards and three touchdowns against the Giants, but they will likely not be able to run at that volume against the stout run defense of the 49ers, and that means quarterback Jalen Hurts will be forced into more throwing situations than he had last week.
Throughout the course of the game, Lenoir should be tested by both wide receivers, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown.
Although they may pick up yards against him early, look for him to put the clamps on later in the game and continue his streak of one interception per game in these playoffs.
No. 2: 49ers TE George Kittle
Another player who should have a big game against the Eagles is one of the biggest personalities on the 49ers, George Kittle.
Although Kittle was stellar with his run blocking, he had a somewhat quiet receiving game against Seattle, with only two receptions and 37 receiving yards.
He however led the Niners in receiving yards against Dallas with 95.
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Expect Kittle to have another huge game against Philadelphia. He will definitely be helping to bolster the run game with his superb run-blocking abilities, bBut he should also be big in the passing game.
Look for Kittle to have somewhere in the neighborhood of six receptions, 106 yards and one touchdown.
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.