49ers Will Need Third Phase To Top Eagles

PHILADELPHIA - Attrition might be the biggest opponent for the San Francisco 49ers during Wild Card Weekend against the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles.

On paper, the Niners (12-5) just don’t have the horses to deal with a proven Philadelphia (11-6) team embarking on its quest for its third NFC Championship in four years.

If San Francisco is going to pull off an upset, the 49ers will likely need something unconventional to happen, and special teams might be the avenue to generate that.

The Niners have been one of the best special teams groups in the NFL this season under coordinator Brant Boyer, grading out as the No. 2 in the third phase by Pro Football Focus.

San Francisco has done just about everything well, with Luke Gifford and Siran Neal among the best coverage players, Skyy Moore proving to be a top-tier returner, and Eddy Pineiro resolving long-standing kicking issues.

“Brant's doing an amazing job, obviously coming from the Jets. He did a great job out there. Then coming into San Francisco, him and San Francisco 49ers Special Teams Assistant] Colt [Anderson], they do a great job of being physical,” Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay said when asked by Eagles on SI what the 49ers do well on special teams.

Anderson was once a great special teams player himself with the Eagles from 2010 through 2013 but coverage isn’t all the 49ers do well on "teams."

“You see Luke Gifford, the Pro Bowl nod from the NFC out there. They have two really good kickoff return guys in [San Francisco 49ers RB] Brian Robinson, obviously when he played for Washington. Now he's got that role in San Francisco,” Clay said.

Moore has proven to be an explosive returner on both kickoffs and punts.

“Skyy Moore has done a really good job, especially in the punt return phase of creating some big explosive plays,” Clay said. “I think he had a 66-yard return against Cleveland. Got a lot of good wiggle, gets north and south, great speed.”

Eagles Have Work Cut Out For Them

The kick return schemes are also exceptional, according to Clay.

“They throw a couple wrinkles in there, try to get your eyes going the wrong way, or you think you're the free runner, the trap block coming throughout the way,” the Eagles’ STC explained. “So we have to be real disciplined in just understanding formations. It's always the old adage, if you're running down the field by yourself, it's probably not a reason you're running down by yourself. … Somebody's going to come with the trap block.

“Then they have two good returners from the kickoff return standpoint, Brian Robinson [going] north and south, he's going to fall forward, he is going to push the pile. Then Skyy Moore, he has the speed, he has the quickness to make people miss. So we got our work cut out.”

Neil is the complement to Gifford on the coverage and blocking teams with each playing over 330 snaps on special teams.

“I've kind of just watched [Neal’s] game over probably the last six, seven years when he was in Buffalo,” Clay said. “Been in Miami last year, does a really good job on the outside, so I think Brant does a heck of a job getting those guys playing hard. Even with those injuries, some depletion from the linebacker room, DB room, they still play extremely hard and they're very physical.”

Clay believes the Eagles are ready.

“I think our kickoff cover has done a really good job throughout the entirety of the year. So we got a work cut out then punt over the last probably since the bye week, we've done a good job,” he said. Kelee [Ringo], Sydney [Brown], the interior of kind of corralling those punt returners. When they come in [Wednesday], there's an emphasis on our coverage phase to hold these guys from getting loose.”

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