Bold predictions for Philadelphia Eagles during NFC Championship Game

The Philadelphia Eagles’ defense WILL record 4+ sacks against the 49ers’ offense.

We already know that the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles defense is historically great at bringing down opposing quarterbacks. They led the league with 70 sacks (a number that was second in the NFL’s history to the legendary 1984 Chicago Bears ). They also produced 97 tackles for a loss of yardage. They should be able to find success versus San Fransisco’s offense.

The 49ers allowed an average of 1.82 sacks per game during the regular season. They also allowed four or more sacks in four different games. Philadelphia became the first team in NFL history to field four different players that earned ten or more sacks in one season, and it isn’t unreasonable to think the Eagles’ pass rush can get to Brock Purdy four times at least.

The Eagles’ defense sacked quarterbacks an average of 4.12 times per game. They notched four-sack showings (or more) in nine different games. Each of their final five regular season games led to six or more sacks. The 49ers’ offensive line may feature a future Hall-of-Famer in their offensive tackle, Trent Williams, but the rest of that unit has displayed up-and-down play.

The Eagles have an incredibly talented pass rush, featuring Brandon Graham, Hasson Reddick, Josh Sweat, Fletcher Cox, and Javon Hargrave – as well as midseason additions Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joesph. Still, no matter how good of a player Williams is, the 49ers’ offensive line could easily get overwhelmed by one of the deepest pass rushes in league history.

A relentless onslaught will likely be the key to defeating the 49ers. Limiting Purdy’s time to throw is the easiest path. Expect rookie mistakes that wind up being the determining factor in another Eagles postseason victory.