Top 3 49ers vs Eagles Storylines That Will Define Sunday’s Wild Card Matchup
The 49ers vs. Eagles Matchup is going to be one of those games that has numerous factors and important storylines that will significantly determine the outcome. This article is going to explain the three most important storylines that will define this matchup on Sunday afternoon from the Linc. These storylines have been thoroughly thought about throughout this week, leading up to this moment. So with that being said, let’s dive into these storylines.
#1: 49ers Linebacker Play and How the Eagles will attack that
This is the most important storyline of this game because the 49ers’ linebacker depth right now consists of Eric Kendricks and freshly signed off the street Kyzir White because of injuries. Yes, both of these linebackers were great back in the day, but the communication aspects of playing in a Robert Salah defense take a lot of time and game-planning to get used to, as most defenses do. So, the expectations of these two linebackers to step in at a high-stakes situation and perform like Fred Warner out there is insane to think about, especially in Philadelphia.
So if I were Kevin Patullo, I would gameplan this game to attack those 49ers linebackers heavily with the run and playaction, and you want to especially incorporate the quarterback run with Jalen Hurts again, as the team has gotten away from it for some reason these last couple of weeks. Which leads to my next storyline.
#2 Will Jalen Hurts Be The Playoff Hurts Again
Let’s be honest, this one could’ve been number one on the list, but the 49ers’ lack of linebacker depth is honestly going to be the most consequential storyline from this game overall. The Jalen Hurts storyline is going to be the biggest key for the Eagles, other than the return of Lane Johnson. We need to see the Eagles use Hurts in the run game more in the playoffs because that adds another dimension to this Eagles offense that makes it tougher for defenses to defend the Eagles overall.
Hurts is going to have to revert back to the playoff version if the Eagles want to repeat as Champs to supplement this great Philadelphia Defense like he did in the NFC Championship and Super Bowl LIX last year. It will be interesting to see how the Eagles use Hurts this playoff run, starting this weekend.
#3 Lane Johnson and Trent Williams Play Returning From Injuries
Lane Johnson and Trent Williams have been staples at the tackle position for a long time in the league. It is a strong case to assume after Thursday that both guys are on track to play in this game. It will be important for the stability of both offenses on how both these guys play and are in, as both teams are substantially better with their guy since they have been on their team, respectively. The guy who shows less rust and more explosion off the ball and has their full ability is the guy who is going to help their team win the football game.
How These Storylines Were Judged
These main storylines for this game were judged with meticulous thought throughout the week, from careful review of the trends heading into the game this week, and following along with the updates of the news. The main thing is watching the Eagles all season and understanding the improvements they have to make as a team. A storyline that almost made it was how Vic Fangio was going to stop Christian McCaffery; it was close to making it, but the two linemen’s returns are a more important storyline for both offenses to succeed.
Conclusion
These three storylines about the 49ers and Eagles game this weekend are going to be the ones to really look at if you are a fan of either team, because they will determine if you get to live on with your playoff lives or you get to watch the rest of the playoffs from the seat of your couch in your living room.
