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The Philadelphia Eagles host the San Francisco 49ers in a trap game

By Matt Giraldi

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 23: Nelson Agholor #13 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates scoring a touchdown against the Washington Redskins during the fourth quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 23, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 23: Nelson Agholor #13 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates scoring a touchdown against the Washington Redskins during the fourth quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 23, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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If ever there was a situation for a trap game, today is it for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Philadelphia Eagles host the San Francisco 49ers this afternoon. The records ultimately set the backdrop of the story. The Eagles have the best record in the NFL at 6-1 and the 49ers have the worst record with zero wins. Oddsmakers also list the Eagles as double-digit point favorites. This is truly David versus Goliath. A trap game.

What exactly is a trap game though? The term has existed for quite some time and has been written about frequently. Succinctly however, its definition is wrapped up in a one sentence excerpt:

"A game in which a playoff contender faces a losing team, but one that still has some motivation for playing hard, and possesses some matchup advantages."

It’s difficult to point out a particular advantage the 49ers have today against the Eagles. However, one area where the 49ers could prove difficult though is with Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. Football Outsiders has the 49ers as the top DVOA defense against tight ends. 49ers safety Eric Reid reportedly is being moved to linebacker, which could prove entertaining if he matches up with Ertz.

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Keeping the Eagles offense is not an easy task. Removing Ertz from the equation still leaves Nelson Agholor, Alshon Jeffery and former 49er Torrey Smith to account for. Agholor in particular looks to feast upon a secondary missing nickel corner K’Wuan Wiliams.

There’s also the matter of scoring points against the Eagles defense. The Eagles will be without Jordan Hicks. Luckily the team is getting Mychal Kendricks back this afternoon. The secondary still needs to prove it’s above playing down to their opponents.

49ers wide receiver Pierre Garçon provides the 49ers with plenty of motivation for playing hard. His service with the Washington Redskins proves that to Eagles players and fans. This season is slightly different though. Garçon leads the 49ers in targets, receptions and receiving yards this season. He doesn’t have a touchdown this season. In fact, only two 49ers wide receivers have a touchdown reception this season, Trent Taylor and Aldrick Robinson. Zero targets inside the 10 yard line will do that to Garçon though.

The Eagles are second in the NFL in total rushing yards allowed. They allow the fewest yards per game on the ground. For 49ers running back Carlos Hyde, it might be tough sledding. So once again, the question is: How can the 49ers offense score points?

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Mistakes might be an option. Overconfidence is another. Whatever the issue, the Eagles need to approach today’s game with the same vigor and velocity they’ve approached prior games with. A win doesn’t seem to do that much for the standings. However, it is a conference win for a team that already has six NFC wins. A seventh would assure the Eagles of having at least a 7-5 record in the NFC. That’s big when it comes to conference tie-breakers.

The 49ers are the perfect team for a trap game. They’ve played it close to several winning teams. They’ve lost a lot of games by less than a touchdown. The Eagles need to take this team seriously. Great teams do not lose these types of games. While the Eagles might not cover in Vegas, they certainly should leave the playing field with a win.

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