Let's call it like it is, the San Francisco 49ers had no right to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday's wild Wild Card Weekend 23-19 upset.
In a world where most teams are rounding into form and finding the best of their best players when the lights are the brightest and the moments matter the most, the Niners were scrabbling around to even fill starting spots on their defensive unit, such has been the attrition over a ridiculous season.
That shone light onto players whom most San Francisco fans probably don't even think about after the three weeks of preseason.
And those players rewarded themselves by balling out the most.
Let's take a look at two of the biggest heroes of Sunday's win and try and understand just where they came from.
LB Eric Kendricks
Better late than never.
It was widely reported that Kendricks would be joining the 2024 iteration of the 49ers. Unfortunately, he backed out, signing with the Dallas Cowboys, and the 49ers, conversely, landed De'Vondre Campbell.
That went well.
Kendricks finally arrived, however, in November, signing first with the practice squad, then finding himself elevated to the main roster as injuries bit the likes of Tatum Bethune and Dee Winters.
Bethune's prolonged absence opened a door for Kendricks to become the full-time starter at middle linebacker for the playoff game against the Eagles, and he grabbed the chance with both hands. While most will focus on his game-winning fourth-down pass deflection that will be in a thousand newspapers and online blogs tomorrow, that misses the fact that Kendricks had a solid game prior to his biggest moment.
He recorded 10 total tackles, with two being for a loss, consistently menacing the Philadelphia running game and its all-world running back, Saquon Barkley.
Perhaps the backer's biggest contributions were unseen, however. After a year of erratic play at the linebacker spots following the injury to Fred Warner, Kendricks seemed to bring a level of calm and consistency that's often been lacking in the defensive front seven.
While Bethune and Winters have their fair share of splash plays, they also have a lot of "rookie" moments (or I suppose, in their case, young-player moments), where they line up incorrectly or take bad coverage responsibilities. They've also missed their share of tackles, particularly in the recent primetime battle with the Seattle Seahawks.
Kendricks lacks their flash but makes up for it in stubborn solidity, and he may be one of the few cases where picking an "experienced veteran" has actually helped a defense. He's written himself into Red and Gold folklore now, and he'll be hoping to back it up again next week in Seattle, save for a stunning comeback by the aforementioned Warner.
DB Marques Sigle
Rookie Marques Sigle is a peculiar tale: an exciting piece in preseason who most 49ers fans with a pair of eyes were clamouring to see start. The young safety did indeed grab a starting job and, for my money at least, largely impressed when given the opportunity.
However, he seemed to fall from favour after Warner's injury, his last start coming in the Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons. It's possible schematic concerns played a role in this, as defensive coordinator Robert Saleh began deploying the "big nickel" more often, opening up more opportunities for safeties Jason Pinnock and Ji'Ayir Brown, while Malik Mustapha's return to health pushed Sigle further down the depth chart.
I have to say, though, I can't really understand it. Both Pinnock and Brown are very mediocre players, while Mustapha flashes potential but is often an undisciplined hitter and is particularly poor in coverage. Saleh's decision to play Brown and Mustapha together has infuriated many, including me.
Fast-forward to today's game, however, and redemption was on the menu. Brown's exit with a hamstring injury opened the door for Sigle (after a disastrous cameo by Pinnock) to grasp the mantle, and he did just that.
As well as a couple of eyecatching coverage plays (on the rare occasion Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts deigned to throw deep downfield, anyway), he also flashed some thumping ability in the running game, finishing with eight total tackles, the highlight of which was a particularly impactful shot on Barkley that caused him to briefly leave the game.
Sigle was excellent, and to a man, almost all Niners analysts and content creators are wondering why he's been in witness protection almost all of the season.
Hopefully now he's been removed from the deep freeze, we might see a little more of him next week, particularly given Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold's propensity for throwing turnover-capable passes.