Three Things We Learned From the 49ers' Win Against Philadelphia

There were a few revealing factors about the 49ers in their playoff win against the Eagles.

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Eric Kendricks (43) celebrates after a play against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Just when it seems the San Francisco 49ers have reached the end of their rope, they find some more to grab onto.

Their Wild Card playoff victory against the Philadelphia Eagles is a testament to that. In a way, it wasn't surprising that the 49ers pulled this win off, but there were still a few things to learn about them in their win.

49ers have to adapt without George Kittle

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) gestures as he is carted off the field after an injury during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

It was gut-wrenching to see George Kittle tear his Achilles, but also typical. This is what the 2025 season has been for the 49ers. It was fitting for Kittle to suffer a season-ending injury.

Now, the 49ers must move on and adapt without him. Replacing Kittle is impossible. You don't replace All-Pro tight ends, but the 49ers can shrink the void he leaves through adaptation.

They did that in the second half against the Eagles with Kyle Juszczyk. The 49ers had him blocking as Kittle would and contributing as a receiver. Juszczyk reeled in four catches for 49 yards.

He's been used in a tight end alignment a lot in the past few seasons, so Juszczyk is built for this. Jake Tonges will need to step up as well. It worked well against the Eagles, but it will be difficult against Seattle.

Marques Sigle improves the defense

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) is unable to make a catch as San Francisco 49ers safety Marques Sigle (36) looks on during the second quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The 49ers' defense was getting rolled in the first half. It wasn't a shock to see. However, they bounced back heavily in the second half, limiting the Eagles to six points versus the 13 in the first.

Part of why they accomplished that was the performance of rookie Marques Sigle. He was flying all over the place in that game. He had to fill in for Ji'Ayir Brown, who left the game with a hamstring injury.

Sigle stepped in and provided an immediate upgrade. His impact was felt in this game. Sigle tallied six solo tackles, one run stop, and only allowed a catch for eight yards.

Brock Purdy can play through adversity

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

It started as a decent game for Brock Purdy. In the opening series, he threw a dime to Demarcus Robinson, which gained 61 yards. He capped off the drive with a touchdown dime to Robinson again.

He was playing well until the middle of the game. That is when he threw two egregious interceptions. The decision-making behind those two picks was absurd.

After Purdy's second pick, he was officially playing an awful game at that point. He was derailing and stalling out any momentum the 49ers were generating.

And yet, he ended up leading a game-winning touchdown drive. That completely changed his performance from awful to solid. Purdy did all of that in frigid temperatures with wind and no Kittle.

He bounced back from his two interceptions in a playoff environment to help win the game. Purdy had so much against him, and he persevered through adversity. What a performance.

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