Why the Eagles are the worst possible playoff matchup for the 49ers

This is not what the 49ers wanted.

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When the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Seattle Seahawks, the expectation across the league was that the team would play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round. The way that we got there was a little more surprising than expected, but we did end up with the Eagles in the third position with a game hosting the 49ers.

While anything can happen in the playoffs, you can argue this is the worst possible draw for the 49ers. 

Are the Philadelphia Eagles a bad matchup for the San Francisco 49ers?

One thing that we have learned about San Francisco this season is that they can put up points on bad defenses, and they can shut down bad offenses. However, their offense can struggle against good defenses and their defense falls apart against the good offenses. 

The difference appears to be that when the offense gets going, nothing can stop them. They are the strength of the roster and the best unit. However, when the offense does not get going, the defense is simply not good enough to pick them up, even against the weaker offenses. They can hold teams to around 20, but cannot score a game-changing touchdown or pitch a shutout in the way that the offense can score on every possession. 

So, the best bet for them in the playoffs would be against another juggernaut offense with a questionable defense. As we saw in the recent weeks, San Francisco looked comfortable being able to go score for score with a team like Chicago. However, when they got to Seattle, it felt insurmountable. 

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The issue is that between the two, the Philadelphia Eagles are much more similar to the Seahawks. They win with their defense, and they win by getting pressure from their front four. They also have some talented secondary members to make things tough.

Philadelphia has had offensive issues all season, but we just saw Seattle come in with their own issues, and have three trips into the 49ers territory without points, and still won the game. The Eagles offense was not as good as Seattle's this season, but on paper, they are arguably better.

Jalen Hurts has won big playoff games; they have two legitimate wideouts, and Saquon Barkley is better than any Seattle runner. Philadelphia has missed Lane Johnson for most of the year, and he should be back this week as well. 

This game is setting up for the Eagles to struggle on offense but score just enough thanks to their defense. Can the 49ers change the fate?