What the Biggest Challenge for the 49ers Will be Against Philadelphia

There are plenty of aspects of the Eagles that make them a challenge for the 49ers.

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) drops back to pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers have had their backs up against the wall for the majority of the season.

When they were supposed to crash and burn with all of their injuries, they completely changed their trajectory. Now, they are in the playoffs with a 12-4 record.

However, they must continue to fight with the same grit as they have all season long. They have an incredibly tough matchup in the Wild Card round on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles.

There are plenty of aspects of the Eagles that make them a challenge for the 49ers, but one that stands out the most will be the biggest challenge to the 49ers.

49ers need to formulate a plan for this

Dec 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) tries to avoid a tackle by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun (53) and safety Reed Blankenship (32) in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

It's how elite the Eagles are at defending the middle of the field for in-breaking routes. That is the focal point of the 49ers' passing offense. It is what makes Brock Purdy thrive.

Purdy has completed 72.6% of his passes when targeting in-breaking routes, the sixth-highest rate in the NFL. Part of why the 49ers like attacking this way is that Kyle Shanahan loves when his players are hit in stride.

It can lead to some yards after the catch. The other part is that Purdy has a weak arm, so he's best suited for throws over the middle rather than towards the sideline on a rope.

However, he's going to need to target outside of the hashes more often.

The Eagles' defense allowed a league-low 51.9 percent completion percentage when defending in-breaking routes this season, the lowest rate allowed by defense in a season during the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016)

And as good as Purdy is at throwing to in-breaking routes, he's thrown nine of his 10 total interceptions when targeting in-breaking routes this season, the second-most in the NFL.

Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo (7) and linebacker Zack Baun (53) and safety Reed Blankenship (32) tackle New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson (84) in the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

To make matters worse, Philadelphia's defense allowed a league-low 40.9 percent completion percentage on passes targeted to the intermediate depth of the field this season (10-19 air yards) through the first 17 weeks of the season.

Purdy loves hitting that mark as well, targeting the intermediate depth of the field on 24.6 percent of his passes this season, the sixth-highest rate in the NFL.

Chunk plays, especially in-breaking ones, will be challenging to execute. One of these two sides is going to have to give. It's likely going to Purdy. The cold weather won't help him. He's already a weak-armed passer.

Not to mention that Ricky Pearsall is most likely going to be inactive with an ailing PCL sprain. If Pearsall was out there and healthy, that would be a significant help.

Now, he's going to need George Kittle, who will certainly be bracketed, Kendrick Bourne, Jauan Jennings, and Demarcus Robinson to carve out space in that region of the field.

It will be tough sledding for the 49ers' offense in this game. Winning or losing this game will depend on them working around this challenge or finding a way to break through it.

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