Do we have to go over the last game? No? Great, thanks. The Eagles now head west to face the 2-1 San Francisco 49ers. Before we dive into the chaos, let’s take a look at their 2019 ranks and offseason additions.
2019 Ranks:
- Yards per game: 381.1 (4th)
- Passing yards per game: 237.0 (13th)
- Rushing yards per game: 144.1 (2nd)
- Points per game: 29.9 (2nd)
- Yards allowed per game: 281.8 (2nd)
- Passing yards allowed per game: 169.2 (1st)
- Rushing yards allowed per game: 112.6 (17th)
- Points allowed per game: 19.4 (8th)
- Turnover differential: +4 (T-10th)
Key arrivals
LT Trent Williams (trade), WR Brandon Aiyuk (draft), DT Javon Kinlaw (draft), DE Ziggy Ansah (free agency), DE Dion Jordan (free agency)
Key departures
LT Joe Staley (retirement), WR Emmanuel Sanders (free agency), DT DeForest Buckner (trade), DE Nick Bosa (injury), DE Solomon Thomas (injury), DE Dee Ford (injury), CB Richard Sherman (injury – will return), QB Jimmy Garoppolo (injury – will return), WR Deebo Samuel (injury – will return), RB Raheem Mostert (injury – will return)
You thought the Eagles had injury concerns? Well, they do. But the 49ers are probably much worse off.
They’re without their starting quarterback, starting running back, starting wide receiver, starting (2019 DROY) DE, starting LB, starting CB, and rotational DE, among others. Whew. This is a big reason why they lost to the Gia… wait.. they still destroyed the Giants? Ok, never mind.
Offensive mastermind
The 49ers are indeed down key pieces to their entire team, but head coach Kyle Shanahan will always get the team ready to dominate. He’s an incredible offensive mind that brought the most out of a running back by committee that had different names seemingly every week. He revived the career of Raheem Mostert, former Eagles’ practice squad member.
So much has been said about the Doug Pederson vs Sean McVay battle, but Kyle Shanahan may be a better offensive mind than both. Before you bring up the 33-10 beat down the Eagles gave the 49ers in 2017, remember two things:
- Shanahan was a rookie head coach
- C.J. Beathard
Since becoming head coach, the 49ers offense scored more points per game every following year. From 20.7 to 21.4 to 29.9. This year they are only at a whimpering 29.0. Last year, the offense was carried by tight end George Kittle, WR Deebo Samuel, and it didn’t hurt to add Emmanuel Sanders, who had over 500 yards receiving in the 10 games after traded there. Hm, a coach who can integrate a new wide receiver mid-season? Interesting..
You are the weakest link, goodbye (hopefully)
When talking about the matchups to watch in the game, it’s hard not to immediately look at the return of George Kittle vs the Eagles’ linebackers. Despite holding the god-like Drew Sample to one reception last week, the middle of the field was decimated by Tyler Boyd. Let us not forget what tight ends Tyler Higbee and Logan Thomas did to them.
The return of Kittle should spell doom for #47 on the Eagles (I do not refer to him by name anymore). When talking to Niners Nation producer Kyle Posey about the game on the last Flippin’ The Birds, he seemingly agreed that #47 will be exploited:
What [Shanahan] has done the last couple of weeks is that, if there is a guy that he can pick on.. if you guys have food on your roster, on defense and he is obvious, which [name redacted] is, what Kyle Shanahan did is he is going to run everybody off the field and isolate that player in space and he’s just going to go after him over, and over, and over, and it’s just going to be death by a thousand cuts.
I equated it to the “fat kid in gym class” scenario where that kid is thrown at over and over in dodge ball, which then Kyle added:
There’s nowhere [#47] can go, you can hide but a simple motion (on offense) and you’re right back to square one.
Fun!
For history and predictions, check out the next page
(Photo by MSA/Icon Sportswire
