The NFL playoffs are set, and the third-seeded Philadelphia Eagles will host the sixth-seeded San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round. While the 49ers have been a respectable team given all of the injuries they have, it feels like as favorable a matchup as the Eagles could have drawn in the first round.
The 49ers are battered and bruised, especially on the defensive side of the ball. That right there is a major advantage for an Eagles offense that has had their fair share of struggles this season. Even George Kittle, the 49ers star tight end, was clearly hoping not to have to play the Eagles.
After the 49ers had lost to the Seahawks in Week 18, it felt pretty likely that Philadelphia was where they'd be headed in the Wild Card round. Kittle did not want this to happen and was openly rooting for the Cardinals to beat the Rams on Sunday, which, if that had happened, would have sent the 49ers to Carolina in the Wild Card round instead.
George Kittle reaction says everything about facing Eagles in playoffs
With the 49ers losing to the Seahawks and the Rams beating the Cardinals in Week 18, Kittle's nightmare became reality. His Niners would have to head to Philadelphia to take on an Eagles team hoping to capitalize on a banged-up San Francisco squad.
Sure, the Eagles have not been great offensively this season, but if they can't score against a depleted 49ers defense, it's safe to say that they won't be able to do so against any of the other playoff teams they may face later on. This could be a chance for the Eagles' offense to beat up on an otherwise talented team, which might help them gain some confidence for the divisional round, and maybe even the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl.
The 49ers have particularly been bad at defending the run, so maybe this is a chance for Saquon Barkley to really get going and run roughshod over them. If that could kickstart an offensive run for this team, then that could very well be enough to propel this Eagles team to another title.
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There is no obvious Super Bowl favorite this year, so even though the Eagles don't feel as threatening as they did in years past, if Kittle is scared to face them, this team could be more dangerous than fans give them credit for.