49ers' Wild Card victory surely led to embattled Eagles coach getting the boot

For the better part of four quarters over Wild Card weekend, it seemed as if the Philadelphia Eagles would manage to stave off the San Francisco 49ers and advance to the divisional round of the playoffs.

Thanks largely to coordinator Vic Fangio's defense frustrating whatever Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan tossed his way.

But Philly's defense ultimately bent enough, thanks largely to quarterback Brock Purdy's timely playmaking and running back Christian McCaffrey's two touchdown receptions, giving San Francisco the 23-19 victory and sending Philadelphia packing.

And for Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, it effectively led to him being dismissed from his role (potentially staying with the franchise in another capacity), as announced by NFL Network the Tuesday after the game:

49ers fans became familiar with Patullo leading up to the game, and several outlets pointed out how he was the weak link in the defending Super Bowl champions' bid to repeat.

A banged-up and shorthanded Niners defense, down to fifth- and sixth-string linebackers and no-names along the defensive line, ultimately clamped down on Patullo's play calling, particularly in the second half:

Whereas San Francisco's offense was largely stymied early, Philly's offense went stagnant in the second, just as the 49ers were gaining momentum.

And that was ultimately the final say in Patullo's job.

49ers played significant role in guaranteeing Kevin Patullo's dismissal

Patullo, who was named to his role after Philadelphia lost its previous offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, to the New Orleans Saints' head-coaching vacancy last offseason, has been no stranger to criticism from Eagles fans.

And those complaints only grew louder as Philly came to average just 22.3 points per game in 2025.

Now, in the wake of a Wild Card exit, those complaints were deafening.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, not known for holding back on such matters, summed things up pretty well:

"On the offensive side, things worked too well. Kellen Moore, after only one year with the Eagles, got the head-coaching job with the Saints.

And then, after making a great hire in Moore, Sirianni made a not-great hire in Kevin Patullo.

Surely, Patullo will be gone. The question is whether the problem ends with him, or whether he’s a scapegoat.

The issues with the Eagles’ offense were chronic in 2025. Everyone knew there was an issue. It never got fixed."

Now, there is an argument the Niners exposed a deeper problem, one involving quarterback Jalen Hurts and not necessarily Patullo, and this suggests Philadelphia might've been better off figuring out its situation under center rather than changing coordinators again. And perhaps the report of Patullo staying on staff is an indicator of such.

However, the money is invested in Hurts, a Super Bowl MVP. When picking between star players and controversial assistants, players (almost) always win.

That scenario played out here, and San Francisco played a massive role in ushering that in.