[Mick]

The Niners were 5-3 and the Jaguars were 6-2 going into this game. There was a real question as to whether Purdy or Lawrence were better QBs.

Today, Brock Purdy's rating was 148.9, and Trevor Lawrence's rating was 48.8. Niners have set a new season high in scoring. Final score is 34 to 3. I think we all understand who the better quarterback is. Brock Purdy, and it isn't close.

Seven different 49ers caught passes. Team gained 446 yards. Purdy had three TDs and no interceptions or fumbles. 

Wilks on the sideline appears to have worked. Niners had a season-high five sacks, four tackles for loss, six passes defensed and 10 quarterback hits. Bosa had 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, a blocked pass and two quarterback hits. Great day for Mr. Bosa. Pretty good day for Chase Young who had a 1/2 sack and two quarterback hits.

Niners didn't give up the ball at all, and the Jaguars gave it up four times.

Only concern for me was kicker Moody...and he was 6 for 6. But a few of them were close.

[Mick]

The Niners were 5-3 and the Jaguars were 6-2 going into this game. There was a real question as to whether Purdy or Lawrence were better QBs.

Today, Brock Purdy's rating was 148.9, and Trevor Lawrence's rating was 48.8. Niners have set a new season high in scoring. Final score is 34 to 3. I think we all understand who the better quarterback is. Brock Purdy, and it isn't close.

Seven different 49ers caught passes. Team gained 446 yards. Purdy had three TDs and no interceptions or fumbles. 

Wilks on the sideline appears to have worked. Niners had a season-high five sacks, four tackles for loss, six passes defensed and 10 quarterback hits. Bosa had 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, a blocked pass and two quarterback hits. Great day for Mr. Bosa. Pretty good day for Chase Young who had a 1/2 sack and two quarterback hits.

Niners didn't give up the ball at all, and the Jaguars gave it up four times.

Only concern for me was kicker Moody...and he was 6 for 6. But a few of them were close.

[Giants]

1699827814[/url]']
The Niners were 5-3 and the Jaguars were 6-2 going into this game. There was a real question as to whether Purdy or Lawrence were better QBs.

Today, Brock Purdy's rating was 148.9, and Trevor Lawrence's rating was 48.8. Niners have set a new season high in scoring. Final score is 34 to 3. I think we all understand who the better quarterback is. Brock Purdy, and it isn't close.

Seven different 49ers caught passes. Team gained 446 yards. Purdy had three TDs and no interceptions or fumbles. 

Wilks on the sideline appears to have worked. Niners had a season-high five sacks, four tackles for loss, six passes defensed and 10 quarterback hits. Bosa had 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, a blocked pass and two quarterback hits. Great day for Mr. Bosa. Pretty good day for Chase Young who had a 1/2 sack and two quarterback hits.

Niners didn't give up the ball at all, and the Jaguars gave it up four times.

Only concern for me was kicker Moody...and he was 6 for 6. But a few of them were close.

I guess that means Purdy is back to being a lock for the Hall of Fame….

:)

[Giants]

1699827814[/url]']
The Niners were 5-3 and the Jaguars were 6-2 going into this game. There was a real question as to whether Purdy or Lawrence were better QBs.

Today, Brock Purdy's rating was 148.9, and Trevor Lawrence's rating was 48.8. Niners have set a new season high in scoring. Final score is 34 to 3. I think we all understand who the better quarterback is. Brock Purdy, and it isn't close.

Seven different 49ers caught passes. Team gained 446 yards. Purdy had three TDs and no interceptions or fumbles. 

Wilks on the sideline appears to have worked. Niners had a season-high five sacks, four tackles for loss, six passes defensed and 10 quarterback hits. Bosa had 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, a blocked pass and two quarterback hits. Great day for Mr. Bosa. Pretty good day for Chase Young who had a 1/2 sack and two quarterback hits.

Niners didn't give up the ball at all, and the Jaguars gave it up four times.

Only concern for me was kicker Moody...and he was 6 for 6. But a few of them were close.

I guess that means Purdy is back to being a lock for the Hall of Fame….

:)

[lex24]

1699832773[/url]']

1699827814[/url]']
The Niners were 5-3 and the Jaguars were 6-2 going into this game. There was a real question as to whether Purdy or Lawrence were better QBs.

Today, Brock Purdy's rating was 148.9, and Trevor Lawrence's rating was 48.8. Niners have set a new season high in scoring. Final score is 34 to 3. I think we all understand who the better quarterback is. Brock Purdy, and it isn't close.

Seven different 49ers caught passes. Team gained 446 yards. Purdy had three TDs and no interceptions or fumbles. 

Wilks on the sideline appears to have worked. Niners had a season-high five sacks, four tackles for loss, six passes defensed and 10 quarterback hits. Bosa had 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, a blocked pass and two quarterback hits. Great day for Mr. Bosa. Pretty good day for Chase Young who had a 1/2 sack and two quarterback hits.

Niners didn't give up the ball at all, and the Jaguars gave it up four times.

Only concern for me was kicker Moody...and he was 6 for 6. But a few of them were close.

I guess that means Purdy is back to being a lock for the Hall of Fame….

:)

And Shanahan is a good coach again…..

[lex24]

1699832773[/url]']

1699827814[/url]']
The Niners were 5-3 and the Jaguars were 6-2 going into this game. There was a real question as to whether Purdy or Lawrence were better QBs.

Today, Brock Purdy's rating was 148.9, and Trevor Lawrence's rating was 48.8. Niners have set a new season high in scoring. Final score is 34 to 3. I think we all understand who the better quarterback is. Brock Purdy, and it isn't close.

Seven different 49ers caught passes. Team gained 446 yards. Purdy had three TDs and no interceptions or fumbles. 

Wilks on the sideline appears to have worked. Niners had a season-high five sacks, four tackles for loss, six passes defensed and 10 quarterback hits. Bosa had 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, a blocked pass and two quarterback hits. Great day for Mr. Bosa. Pretty good day for Chase Young who had a 1/2 sack and two quarterback hits.

Niners didn't give up the ball at all, and the Jaguars gave it up four times.

Only concern for me was kicker Moody...and he was 6 for 6. But a few of them were close.

I guess that means Purdy is back to being a lock for the Hall of Fame….

:)

And Shanahan is a good coach again…..

[OutsiderFan]

A very interesting result. Wilks threw the kitchen sink at the Jags. On consecutive series, they had Bosa and Young lined up in the A gaps pre-snap, and then Warner and Greenlaw in them. And then on another play, they had Bosa at LE and Young inside. They deployed a 5 DL front.  When they lined up the rushers in the A gaps, they forced the OL and RB to account for them as rushers, and created 1-1 pass rushing opportunities for Javon Hargrave in particular. And they moved Deommodore Lenoir to Nickel and started Ambry Thomas at RC. Lombardi posted that Lawrence averaged +.3 more seconds per release than his season average. All the different looks and coverage schemes combined to make Lawrence hesitate, and that allowed the pass rush to impact the game. But they also had to do a better job stopping the run, which they did, and gave them pass defense opportunities. I don't think Chase Young was needed to do a lot of the stuff that worked, and neither do I think having Wilks on the sideline was needed. But Young provides another guy who can win in one-on-one situations at a very hight rate, and Wilks seemed to enjoy it.

FHOF Brock Purdy was pretty damn impressive. Lombardi reported Purdy was pressured on over 50% of his drop backs, which is the highest in his career, and he also turned in the highest passer rating of his career at the same time. Not too shabby. Purdy now has a 9.5 YPA, which is +.8 more than second place Tua Tagavailoa. The Niners don't have Tyreek Hill, Jalen Waddle, and Raheem Mostert speed to create that many big plays, yet there Purdy is, leading the NFL in YPA. Purdy also is the highest rated passer in the NFL at 109.9, now leading Tagavailoa by +3.5. And as of now, Purdy is also leads the league in QBR, a point ahead of Josh Allen at 76.3. Purdy is really struggling in the completion percentage department though. He's just 7th in the NFL with 68.8%.

Gotta give Kyle Shanahan a lot of credit for getting his team to play so well after being so poor on many areas in the 3-game losing streak. The Niners have played three games against teams that had their attention with Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel playing; at Steelers, Cowboys, and at Jaguars. The Niners have outscored those teams 106-20, or or about 35-6 on average. 

What I don't understand is how not having Williams and Samuel also impacted the Defense given they play on Offense. Why is it the team plays the same way on both sides of the ball in seemingly every game? The D plays great, the O plays great. The O plays OK, the D plays OK. That's what I see from the Niners. You don't see the D rescuing the O when the O isn't playing well and you don't see the O rescue the D when the D isn't playing well. This is my concern for this team. When they play great, they are the most dominant team in the NFL, because the teams they have beaten by the largest margins have a combined record of 18-6 and they are #2 in point differential to the Ravens, just 4 from tops in the NFL.  But if they struggle early and fall behind by more than a TD, they are pretty much earmarked for losing because Shanahan's teams haven't shown an ability to come back when they fall behind. Obviously that can change, but ability to change things up and come back when down in a game is an area of demonstrated weakness.

[OutsiderFan]

A very interesting result. Wilks threw the kitchen sink at the Jags. On consecutive series, they had Bosa and Young lined up in the A gaps pre-snap, and then Warner and Greenlaw in them. And then on another play, they had Bosa at LE and Young inside. They deployed a 5 DL front.  When they lined up the rushers in the A gaps, they forced the OL and RB to account for them as rushers, and created 1-1 pass rushing opportunities for Javon Hargrave in particular. And they moved Deommodore Lenoir to Nickel and started Ambry Thomas at RC. Lombardi posted that Lawrence averaged +.3 more seconds per release than his season average. All the different looks and coverage schemes combined to make Lawrence hesitate, and that allowed the pass rush to impact the game. But they also had to do a better job stopping the run, which they did, and gave them pass defense opportunities. I don't think Chase Young was needed to do a lot of the stuff that worked, and neither do I think having Wilks on the sideline was needed. But Young provides another guy who can win in one-on-one situations at a very hight rate, and Wilks seemed to enjoy it.

FHOF Brock Purdy was pretty damn impressive. Lombardi reported Purdy was pressured on over 50% of his drop backs, which is the highest in his career, and he also turned in the highest passer rating of his career at the same time. Not too shabby. Purdy now has a 9.5 YPA, which is +.8 more than second place Tua Tagavailoa. The Niners don't have Tyreek Hill, Jalen Waddle, and Raheem Mostert speed to create that many big plays, yet there Purdy is, leading the NFL in YPA. Purdy also is the highest rated passer in the NFL at 109.9, now leading Tagavailoa by +3.5. And as of now, Purdy is also leads the league in QBR, a point ahead of Josh Allen at 76.3. Purdy is really struggling in the completion percentage department though. He's just 7th in the NFL with 68.8%.

Gotta give Kyle Shanahan a lot of credit for getting his team to play so well after being so poor on many areas in the 3-game losing streak. The Niners have played three games against teams that had their attention with Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel playing; at Steelers, Cowboys, and at Jaguars. The Niners have outscored those teams 106-20, or or about 35-6 on average. 

What I don't understand is how not having Williams and Samuel also impacted the Defense given they play on Offense. Why is it the team plays the same way on both sides of the ball in seemingly every game? The D plays great, the O plays great. The O plays OK, the D plays OK. That's what I see from the Niners. You don't see the D rescuing the O when the O isn't playing well and you don't see the O rescue the D when the D isn't playing well. This is my concern for this team. When they play great, they are the most dominant team in the NFL, because the teams they have beaten by the largest margins have a combined record of 18-6 and they are #2 in point differential to the Ravens, just 4 from tops in the NFL.  But if they struggle early and fall behind by more than a TD, they are pretty much earmarked for losing because Shanahan's teams haven't shown an ability to come back when they fall behind. Obviously that can change, but ability to change things up and come back when down in a game is an area of demonstrated weakness.

[Mick]

I guess that means Purdy is back to being a lock for the Hall of Fame….

:)

I don't know about that. But he's #1 in the NFL in both passer rating (109.9) and QBR (79.3):

https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/player/_/...g/dir/desc

Purdy's QBR is currently #31 all time for a single season:

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/l...season.htm

And his passer rating is #27 all time for a single season:

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/l...season.htm

Incidentally, Purdy doesn't have enough pass attempts to qualify for the career passer rating list. But if he did, he'd be the leader by a considerable margin. The top five would look like this:

1. Purdy, 108.9
2. Mahomes, 104.8
3. DeShaun Watson, 100.8
4. Russell Wilson, 100.2
5. Drew Brees, 98.7

Not sure how valid career passer rating is. After all, Garoppolo is #9 and Tom Brady is #10 all time.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/l...career.htm

---

And Shanahan is a good coach again…..

And Steve Wilks knows how to coach defense...

[Mick]

I guess that means Purdy is back to being a lock for the Hall of Fame….

:)

I don't know about that. But he's #1 in the NFL in both passer rating (109.9) and QBR (79.3):

https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/player/_/...g/dir/desc

Purdy's QBR is currently #31 all time for a single season:

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/l...season.htm

And his passer rating is #27 all time for a single season:

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/l...season.htm

Incidentally, Purdy doesn't have enough pass attempts to qualify for the career passer rating list. But if he did, he'd be the leader by a considerable margin. The top five would look like this:

1. Purdy, 108.9
2. Mahomes, 104.8
3. DeShaun Watson, 100.8
4. Russell Wilson, 100.2
5. Drew Brees, 98.7

Not sure how valid career passer rating is. After all, Garoppolo is #9 and Tom Brady is #10 all time.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/l...career.htm

---

And Shanahan is a good coach again…..

And Steve Wilks knows how to coach defense...

[lex24]

Assuming Niners handle Tampa Bay, big one on Monday night.  Chiefs- Eagles.  Need Chiefs to win.  Otherwise have a hard time seeing Niners getting a better seed.

Speaking of which.  Lions.  They have a one game lead and a cupcake schedule.

[lex24]

Assuming Niners handle Tampa Bay, big one on Monday night.  Chiefs- Eagles.  Need Chiefs to win.  Otherwise have a hard time seeing Niners getting a better seed.

Speaking of which.  Lions.  They have a one game lead and a cupcake schedule.

[OutsiderFan]

I've believed ever since Niners lost to Vikings that the Lions would be the #1 seed in the NFC.  Their schedule is just so damn soft, not Steelers the rest of the way soft, but soft nonetheless.

Heard an amusing discussion on ESPN Radio with Greeny, Graziani, and Tannenbaum today. They were basically saying all the AFC teams they assumed made it the best conference in the NFL, are all looking a lot less dominant than they suspected they were. They agreed the Chiefs are really the only team anyone can trust, and they are struggling on offense this season, so the conference is not as great as presumed.

After watching the season play out, and the impact injuries have, it points to how foolish it is to try predicting what is going to happen. Hell, the Lions could lose Jared Goff on Thanksgiving day against the Packers and struggle to make the playoffs thereafter. But, the Lions OL is one of the best in the NFL, so the odds of that happening are low.

[OutsiderFan]

I've believed ever since Niners lost to Vikings that the Lions would be the #1 seed in the NFC.  Their schedule is just so damn soft, not Steelers the rest of the way soft, but soft nonetheless.

Heard an amusing discussion on ESPN Radio with Greeny, Graziani, and Tannenbaum today. They were basically saying all the AFC teams they assumed made it the best conference in the NFL, are all looking a lot less dominant than they suspected they were. They agreed the Chiefs are really the only team anyone can trust, and they are struggling on offense this season, so the conference is not as great as presumed.

After watching the season play out, and the impact injuries have, it points to how foolish it is to try predicting what is going to happen. Hell, the Lions could lose Jared Goff on Thanksgiving day against the Packers and struggle to make the playoffs thereafter. But, the Lions OL is one of the best in the NFL, so the odds of that happening are low.

[OutsiderFan]

I thought for sure someone - other than me 14 hours after the game ended - would have posted something about FHOF Brock Purdy turning in the 80th perfect Passer Rating in NFL history.

Purdy now:

#1 PER: 115.1 (+9.1 over Tagavailoa)
#1 QBR: 77.1 (+3.3 over Prescott)
#1 Comp %: 70.2 (.1 over Prescott)
#1 YPA: 9.7 (+2 over Prescott)
#2 (tie) Fewest INT (-1 behind Wilson, Carr, Pickett)
#4 TD: 18 (-4 behind Allen)
#6 YDS: 2,662 (- 376 behind Howell)


In any case, another big win margin. No win has been by less than 7 and that would be 10 if the Rams didn't kick a meaningless FG as time expired. You'd like to have proof of ability to win a close game, but do you really want a close game if you can avoid one?  Of course not. Games are close when they start obviously. Still, it would be nice to know that the Niners can make plays in tight games at the end to win. I'm going to assume they can because it's hard to imagine a team this good not being able to perform in the clutch.

The Hufanga injury obviously sucks, so good thing they were starting to get Ji'Ayir Brown more reps. Typically, losing an All-Pro like Hufanga would be a mighty blow, but Brown was very Hufanga-like in college, really good at LOS and a ballhawk. He certainly showed he is no weak link when he got his opportunities and helped solidify 27-14 win.

[OutsiderFan]

I thought for sure someone - other than me 14 hours after the game ended - would have posted something about FHOF Brock Purdy turning in the 80th perfect Passer Rating in NFL history.

Purdy now:

#1 PER: 115.1 (+9.1 over Tagavailoa)
#1 QBR: 77.1 (+3.3 over Prescott)
#1 Comp %: 70.2 (.1 over Prescott)
#1 YPA: 9.7 (+2 over Prescott)
#2 (tie) Fewest INT (-1 behind Wilson, Carr, Pickett)
#4 TD: 18 (-4 behind Allen)
#6 YDS: 2,662 (- 376 behind Howell)


In any case, another big win margin. No win has been by less than 7 and that would be 10 if the Rams didn't kick a meaningless FG as time expired. You'd like to have proof of ability to win a close game, but do you really want a close game if you can avoid one?  Of course not. Games are close when they start obviously. Still, it would be nice to know that the Niners can make plays in tight games at the end to win. I'm going to assume they can because it's hard to imagine a team this good not being able to perform in the clutch.

The Hufanga injury obviously sucks, so good thing they were starting to get Ji'Ayir Brown more reps. Typically, losing an All-Pro like Hufanga would be a mighty blow, but Brown was very Hufanga-like in college, really good at LOS and a ballhawk. He certainly showed he is no weak link when he got his opportunities and helped solidify 27-14 win.

[lex24]

1700243679[/url]']
I've believed ever since Niners lost to Vikings that the Lions would be the #1 seed in the NFC.  Their schedule is just so damn soft, not Steelers the rest of the way soft, but soft nonetheless.

Heard an amusing discussion on ESPN Radio with Greeny, Graziani, and Tannenbaum today. They were basically saying all the AFC teams they assumed made it the best conference in the NFL, are all looking a lot less dominant than they suspected they were. They agreed the Chiefs are really the only team anyone can trust, and they are struggling on offense this season, so the conference is not as great as presumed.

After watching the season play out, and the impact injuries have, it points to how foolish it is to try predicting what is going to happen. Hell, the Lions could lose Jared Goff on Thanksgiving day against the Packers and struggle to make the playoffs thereafter. But, the Lions OL is one of the best in the NFL, so the odds of that happening are low.

Gotta love the Chicago Bears. It’s amazing to me how some NFL teams have the ability week after week to figure out a way to lose. Bears are exhibit A.  Chargers exhibit B. How Brandon Staley still has a job is beyond me.

---

1700492332[/url]']
I thought for sure someone - other than me 14 hours after the game ended - would have posted something about FHOF Brock Purdy turning in the 80th perfect Passer Rating in NFL history.

Purdy now:

#1 PER: 115.1 (+9.1 over Tagavailoa)
#1 QBR: 77.1 (+3.3 over Prescott)
#1 Comp %: 70.2 (.1 over Prescott)
#1 YPA: 9.7 (+2 over Prescott)
#2 (tie) Fewest INT (-1 behind Wilson, Carr, Pickett)
#4 TD: 18 (-4 behind Allen)
#6 YDS: 2,662 (- 376 behind Howell)


In any case, another big win margin. No win has been by less than 7 and that would be 10 if the Rams didn't kick a meaningless FG as time expired. You'd like to have proof of ability to win a close game, but do you really want a close game if you can avoid one?  Of course not. Games are close when they start obviously. Still, it would be nice to know that the Niners can make plays in tight games at the end to win. I'm going to assume they can because it's hard to imagine a team this good not being able to perform in the clutch.

The Hufanga injury obviously sucks, so good thing they were starting to get Ji'Ayir Brown more reps. Typically, losing an All-Pro like Hufanga would be a mighty blow, but Brown was very Hufanga-like in college, really good at LOS and a ballhawk. He certainly showed he is no weak link when he got his opportunities and helped solidify 27-14 win.

He’s  playing at an All-Pro pro level. No question. But (there’s always a but, right) he has one more box to check. Winning a close game, particularly in the fourth quarter, when things aren’t going particularly well. The 49ers have been great front runners. Not so much when they fall behind. I’m not suggesting that’s all on Purdy. Far from it. But what sets quarterbacks apart from being very good to being great is the ability to put the team on his  shoulders when necessary. Purdy hasn’t had many opportunities. But he will get some. Maybe in some of the biggest games of the year. No reason to believe he won’t be successful.

And one of the things that’s obvious is what Tim Ryan said – Purdy is the right quarterback to lead this team with this coach. A great symbiotic relationship.

Second of course is further downstream – that’s winning a championship.

Losing Hufanga hurts.  But it’s the NFL.  No team escapes major injuries.

[lex24]

1700243679[/url]']
I've believed ever since Niners lost to Vikings that the Lions would be the #1 seed in the NFC.  Their schedule is just so damn soft, not Steelers the rest of the way soft, but soft nonetheless.

Heard an amusing discussion on ESPN Radio with Greeny, Graziani, and Tannenbaum today. They were basically saying all the AFC teams they assumed made it the best conference in the NFL, are all looking a lot less dominant than they suspected they were. They agreed the Chiefs are really the only team anyone can trust, and they are struggling on offense this season, so the conference is not as great as presumed.

After watching the season play out, and the impact injuries have, it points to how foolish it is to try predicting what is going to happen. Hell, the Lions could lose Jared Goff on Thanksgiving day against the Packers and struggle to make the playoffs thereafter. But, the Lions OL is one of the best in the NFL, so the odds of that happening are low.

Gotta love the Chicago Bears. It’s amazing to me how some NFL teams have the ability week after week to figure out a way to lose. Bears are exhibit A.  Chargers exhibit B. How Brandon Staley still has a job is beyond me.

---

1700492332[/url]']
I thought for sure someone - other than me 14 hours after the game ended - would have posted something about FHOF Brock Purdy turning in the 80th perfect Passer Rating in NFL history.

Purdy now:

#1 PER: 115.1 (+9.1 over Tagavailoa)
#1 QBR: 77.1 (+3.3 over Prescott)
#1 Comp %: 70.2 (.1 over Prescott)
#1 YPA: 9.7 (+2 over Prescott)
#2 (tie) Fewest INT (-1 behind Wilson, Carr, Pickett)
#4 TD: 18 (-4 behind Allen)
#6 YDS: 2,662 (- 376 behind Howell)


In any case, another big win margin. No win has been by less than 7 and that would be 10 if the Rams didn't kick a meaningless FG as time expired. You'd like to have proof of ability to win a close game, but do you really want a close game if you can avoid one?  Of course not. Games are close when they start obviously. Still, it would be nice to know that the Niners can make plays in tight games at the end to win. I'm going to assume they can because it's hard to imagine a team this good not being able to perform in the clutch.

The Hufanga injury obviously sucks, so good thing they were starting to get Ji'Ayir Brown more reps. Typically, losing an All-Pro like Hufanga would be a mighty blow, but Brown was very Hufanga-like in college, really good at LOS and a ballhawk. He certainly showed he is no weak link when he got his opportunities and helped solidify 27-14 win.

He’s  playing at an All-Pro pro level. No question. But (there’s always a but, right) he has one more box to check. Winning a close game, particularly in the fourth quarter, when things aren’t going particularly well. The 49ers have been great front runners. Not so much when they fall behind. I’m not suggesting that’s all on Purdy. Far from it. But what sets quarterbacks apart from being very good to being great is the ability to put the team on his  shoulders when necessary. Purdy hasn’t had many opportunities. But he will get some. Maybe in some of the biggest games of the year. No reason to believe he won’t be successful.

And one of the things that’s obvious is what Tim Ryan said – Purdy is the right quarterback to lead this team with this coach. A great symbiotic relationship.

Second of course is further downstream – that’s winning a championship.

Losing Hufanga hurts.  But it’s the NFL.  No team escapes major injuries.

[OutsiderFan]

One of the things that makes the Niners so formidable is the diversity of their Offense. It's not the same thing every week. 

Bucs - 25 passes and 30 runs:
10.5 YPP and 3.8 YPC

Seachickens - 31 passes and 33 runs:
6.5 YPP and 5.1 YPC

This means if you try taking away the run, they can beat you with the pass. If you try taking away the pass they can beat you with the run. This is not true for every team.

Seattle has arguably the 2 best CBs the Niners will face on one team this whole season, and though they didn't get many sacks, it wasn't like Purdy had all day to throw last night. It was clear they were taking away deep routes and giving up underneath stuff, forcing the Niners to execute without turnovers and penalties. The one pick from FHOF Purdy was pretty ugly, but OMG that throw to Aiyuk to seal the game was amazing. Even if those plays cancel each other out, the rest of his game was pretty damn good.

The 8 yd CMac TD run was such a brilliant display of what makes him great - vision, patience, explosiveness, and power. It was like he was the frog in Frogger, going back to let a tackler move and create a path for him to go forward, before darting to the goal line and wrestling the tackler past it.

Don't know if I've ever seen a QB be hit by so many defenders at the same time as Geno Smith was last night, but what a great game by Charvarious Ward. Don't think they missed Hufanga, but will be interesting what they do with another season ending injury to another Safety with Odom torn biceps. Could they potentially move Isiah Oliver to Safety?

[OutsiderFan]

One of the things that makes the Niners so formidable is the diversity of their Offense. It's not the same thing every week. 

Bucs - 25 passes and 30 runs:
10.5 YPP and 3.8 YPC

Seachickens - 31 passes and 33 runs:
6.5 YPP and 5.1 YPC

This means if you try taking away the run, they can beat you with the pass. If you try taking away the pass they can beat you with the run. This is not true for every team.

Seattle has arguably the 2 best CBs the Niners will face on one team this whole season, and though they didn't get many sacks, it wasn't like Purdy had all day to throw last night. It was clear they were taking away deep routes and giving up underneath stuff, forcing the Niners to execute without turnovers and penalties. The one pick from FHOF Purdy was pretty ugly, but OMG that throw to Aiyuk to seal the game was amazing. Even if those plays cancel each other out, the rest of his game was pretty damn good.

The 8 yd CMac TD run was such a brilliant display of what makes him great - vision, patience, explosiveness, and power. It was like he was the frog in Frogger, going back to let a tackler move and create a path for him to go forward, before darting to the goal line and wrestling the tackler past it.

Don't know if I've ever seen a QB be hit by so many defenders at the same time as Geno Smith was last night, but what a great game by Charvarious Ward. Don't think they missed Hufanga, but will be interesting what they do with another season ending injury to another Safety with Odom torn biceps. Could they potentially move Isiah Oliver to Safety?

[Mick]

The 49ers are now 2.5 point favorites against the Eagles. The Eagles are the first 10-1 or better team in league history to be a home underdog…

[Mick]

The 49ers are now 2.5 point favorites against the Eagles. The Eagles are the first 10-1 or better team in league history to be a home underdog…

[OutsiderFan]

I understand the fools at CBS decided it was a good idea to show Chiefs - Raiders instead of Bills - Eagles to the Bay Area market on Sunday, so most local Niners fans didn't see how absurdly lucky the Eagles were to beat the Bills. Those who saw their MNF win at Chiefs know they also were very fortunate to win that game, but the Bills game good fortune was what I would call statistically like winning Powerball. This isn't to say the Eagles just all have rabbit's fee shoved up their collective asses, they are good too, good fortune has a way of evening out in sports.

Here's a summary of the things that went right for the Eagles and against Bills that the Eagles had no hand in making happen or were chance events that rolled their way:

- Bills RB dropped pass that would have been an easy walk-in TD had he caught it (game winning points)
- Bills called for 10 first half penalties to Eagles 1 - and the Eagles got away with several
- Blocked chip shot FG - give credit to Eagles, but that is more chance event than some great level of skill of a FG block unit
- Missed Bills 48 yd FG in heavy rain (game winning points)
- Eagles made 59 yd FG to force OT when the rain intensity had lowered
- Bills WR turned wrong way on would have been game winning TD; Jim Nance called it like it was gonna be caught for game winner he was so open
- AJ Brown stripped of ball after Bills OT FG; overzealous ref ruled incomplete on field, preventing review of a clear Bills fumble recovery from happening that would have given them the win or been overturned if ruled incomplete, and if th ball was knocked out a millisecond later, it is ruled a fumble and Bills recovery anyway

The Bills totally dominated the first half and should have led 27-7. Instead, it was just 17-7. The Eagles played well in the second half, but the Bills were not terrible in the second like the Eagles were in the first. The Bills were the better team overall and should have won the game. I've never seen a game where the winning team had more things go their way. I was rooting for the Bills because Niners need Eagles to lose for any bye chance, and was frustrated, but can't imagine how crazy the Bills fans were going watching it all play out. 

I'm not a big refs decided the game guy, and you'll notice none of the events above are specific penalty situations, but, this is pretty remarkable. The missed horse collar tackle on Allen was just breathtaking, especially when they not only missed that, but called him for intentional grounding! This is the drive the Bills had FG blocked. The Bills scored a TD after Eagles fumbled on last first half possession, so it wasn't a game-deciding penalty, but it indicated how the Bills were being victimized by poor refereeing. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS35GziYIEk

Anyway, I think part of the reason the Niners are favored, aside from having a more dominant team, is people expect the crazy Eagles good fortune at all crucial moments to run out, and it should.

[OutsiderFan]

I understand the fools at CBS decided it was a good idea to show Chiefs - Raiders instead of Bills - Eagles to the Bay Area market on Sunday, so most local Niners fans didn't see how absurdly lucky the Eagles were to beat the Bills. Those who saw their MNF win at Chiefs know they also were very fortunate to win that game, but the Bills game good fortune was what I would call statistically like winning Powerball. This isn't to say the Eagles just all have rabbit's fee shoved up their collective asses, they are good too, good fortune has a way of evening out in sports.

Here's a summary of the things that went right for the Eagles and against Bills that the Eagles had no hand in making happen or were chance events that rolled their way:

- Bills RB dropped pass that would have been an easy walk-in TD had he caught it (game winning points)
- Bills called for 10 first half penalties to Eagles 1 - and the Eagles got away with several
- Blocked chip shot FG - give credit to Eagles, but that is more chance event than some great level of skill of a FG block unit
- Missed Bills 48 yd FG in heavy rain (game winning points)
- Eagles made 59 yd FG to force OT when the rain intensity had lowered
- Bills WR turned wrong way on would have been game winning TD; Jim Nance called it like it was gonna be caught for game winner he was so open
- AJ Brown stripped of ball after Bills OT FG; overzealous ref ruled incomplete on field, preventing review of a clear Bills fumble recovery from happening that would have given them the win or been overturned if ruled incomplete, and if th ball was knocked out a millisecond later, it is ruled a fumble and Bills recovery anyway

The Bills totally dominated the first half and should have led 27-7. Instead, it was just 17-7. The Eagles played well in the second half, but the Bills were not terrible in the second like the Eagles were in the first. The Bills were the better team overall and should have won the game. I've never seen a game where the winning team had more things go their way. I was rooting for the Bills because Niners need Eagles to lose for any bye chance, and was frustrated, but can't imagine how crazy the Bills fans were going watching it all play out. 

I'm not a big refs decided the game guy, and you'll notice none of the events above are specific penalty situations, but, this is pretty remarkable. The missed horse collar tackle on Allen was just breathtaking, especially when they not only missed that, but called him for intentional grounding! This is the drive the Bills had FG blocked. The Bills scored a TD after Eagles fumbled on last first half possession, so it wasn't a game-deciding penalty, but it indicated how the Bills were being victimized by poor refereeing. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS35GziYIEk

Anyway, I think part of the reason the Niners are favored, aside from having a more dominant team, is people expect the crazy Eagles good fortune at all crucial moments to run out, and it should.

[lex24]

1701184540[/url]']
I understand the fools at CBS decided it was a good idea to show Chiefs - Raiders instead of Bills - Eagles to the Bay Area market on Sunday, so most local Niners fans didn't see how absurdly lucky the Eagles were to beat the Bills. Those who saw their MNF win at Chiefs know they also were very fortunate to win that game, but the Bills game good fortune was what I would call statistically like winning Powerball. This isn't to say the Eagles just all have rabbit's fee shoved up their collective asses, they are good too, good fortune has a way of evening out in sports.

Here's a summary of the things that went right for the Eagles and against Bills that the Eagles had no hand in making happen or were chance events that rolled their way:

- Bills RB dropped pass that would have been an easy walk-in TD had he caught it (game winning points)
- Bills called for 10 first half penalties to Eagles 1 - and the Eagles got away with several
- Blocked chip shot FG - give credit to Eagles, but that is more chance event than some great level of skill of a FG block unit
- Missed Bills 48 yd FG in heavy rain (game winning points)
- Eagles made 59 yd FG to force OT when the rain intensity had lowered
- Bills WR turned wrong way on would have been game winning TD; Jim Nance called it like it was gonna be caught for game winner he was so open
- AJ Brown stripped of ball after Bills OT FG; overzealous ref ruled incomplete on field, preventing review of a clear Bills fumble recovery from happening that would have given them the win or been overturned if ruled incomplete, and if th ball was knocked out a millisecond later, it is ruled a fumble and Bills recovery anyway

The Bills totally dominated the first half and should have led 27-7. Instead, it was just 17-7. The Eagles played well in the second half, but the Bills were not terrible in the second like the Eagles were in the first. The Bills were the better team overall and should have won the game. I've never seen a game where the winning team had more things go their way. I was rooting for the Bills because Niners need Eagles to lose for any bye chance, and was frustrated, but can't imagine how crazy the Bills fans were going watching it all play out. 

I'm not a big refs decided the game guy, and you'll notice none of the events above are specific penalty situations, but, this is pretty remarkable. The missed horse collar tackle on Allen was just breathtaking, especially when they not only missed that, but called him for intentional grounding! This is the drive the Bills had FG blocked. The Bills scored a TD after Eagles fumbled on last first half possession, so it wasn't a game-deciding penalty, but it indicated how the Bills were being victimized by poor refereeing. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS35GziYIEk

Anyway, I think part of the reason the Niners are favored, aside from having a more dominant team, is people expect the crazy Eagles good fortune at all crucial moments to run out, and it should.

Eagles are 10-1 playing at home.  Niners sometimes struggle with running QBs.  Hassan Redick on McKivitz is a bad matchup.  Forecast is 55 and showers (not bad). Eagles have no 1 rushing defense in NFL.  (28th passing).  Smith and Brown are the best set of wideouts Niners will see.

Yes, Eagles have been fortunate.  They’ve also beaten Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs and Bills in 4 of last 5 weeks. No matter how that’s achieved, it’s darn impressive. Those are 4 of top 6 in football.

Niners certainly can win this game.  I think on a neutral field they may be a bit better.  In Philly?  Still surprised they are favored.  Kind of sorry they are.

To get to SB Niners probably will have to beat Philly twice.  In Philly.

Tall task.

[lex24]

1701184540[/url]']
I understand the fools at CBS decided it was a good idea to show Chiefs - Raiders instead of Bills - Eagles to the Bay Area market on Sunday, so most local Niners fans didn't see how absurdly lucky the Eagles were to beat the Bills. Those who saw their MNF win at Chiefs know they also were very fortunate to win that game, but the Bills game good fortune was what I would call statistically like winning Powerball. This isn't to say the Eagles just all have rabbit's fee shoved up their collective asses, they are good too, good fortune has a way of evening out in sports.

Here's a summary of the things that went right for the Eagles and against Bills that the Eagles had no hand in making happen or were chance events that rolled their way:

- Bills RB dropped pass that would have been an easy walk-in TD had he caught it (game winning points)
- Bills called for 10 first half penalties to Eagles 1 - and the Eagles got away with several
- Blocked chip shot FG - give credit to Eagles, but that is more chance event than some great level of skill of a FG block unit
- Missed Bills 48 yd FG in heavy rain (game winning points)
- Eagles made 59 yd FG to force OT when the rain intensity had lowered
- Bills WR turned wrong way on would have been game winning TD; Jim Nance called it like it was gonna be caught for game winner he was so open
- AJ Brown stripped of ball after Bills OT FG; overzealous ref ruled incomplete on field, preventing review of a clear Bills fumble recovery from happening that would have given them the win or been overturned if ruled incomplete, and if th ball was knocked out a millisecond later, it is ruled a fumble and Bills recovery anyway

The Bills totally dominated the first half and should have led 27-7. Instead, it was just 17-7. The Eagles played well in the second half, but the Bills were not terrible in the second like the Eagles were in the first. The Bills were the better team overall and should have won the game. I've never seen a game where the winning team had more things go their way. I was rooting for the Bills because Niners need Eagles to lose for any bye chance, and was frustrated, but can't imagine how crazy the Bills fans were going watching it all play out. 

I'm not a big refs decided the game guy, and you'll notice none of the events above are specific penalty situations, but, this is pretty remarkable. The missed horse collar tackle on Allen was just breathtaking, especially when they not only missed that, but called him for intentional grounding! This is the drive the Bills had FG blocked. The Bills scored a TD after Eagles fumbled on last first half possession, so it wasn't a game-deciding penalty, but it indicated how the Bills were being victimized by poor refereeing. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS35GziYIEk

Anyway, I think part of the reason the Niners are favored, aside from having a more dominant team, is people expect the crazy Eagles good fortune at all crucial moments to run out, and it should.

Eagles are 10-1 playing at home.  Niners sometimes struggle with running QBs.  Hassan Redick on McKivitz is a bad matchup.  Forecast is 55 and showers (not bad). Eagles have no 1 rushing defense in NFL.  (28th passing).  Smith and Brown are the best set of wideouts Niners will see.

Yes, Eagles have been fortunate.  They’ve also beaten Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs and Bills in 4 of last 5 weeks. No matter how that’s achieved, it’s darn impressive. Those are 4 of top 6 in football.

Niners certainly can win this game.  I think on a neutral field they may be a bit better.  In Philly?  Still surprised they are favored.  Kind of sorry they are.

To get to SB Niners probably will have to beat Philly twice.  In Philly.

Tall task.

[Goose]

To get to SB Niners probably will have to beat Philly twice.  In Philly.

IMO they only have to beat Philly in Philly once, the second time they play them. Both teams want to win this game, but in reality it isn't as important as it seems. Both teams will almost assuredly win their divisions. Philly has the inside track to the best record, and still will have after this game, win or lose. If the 49ers win, they will still need help even if they win out. If the Niners are to be only 0.500 against the Eagles, let that loss be now, not later :-).

[Goose]

To get to SB Niners probably will have to beat Philly twice.  In Philly.

IMO they only have to beat Philly in Philly once, the second time they play them. Both teams want to win this game, but in reality it isn't as important as it seems. Both teams will almost assuredly win their divisions. Philly has the inside track to the best record, and still will have after this game, win or lose. If the 49ers win, they will still need help even if they win out. If the Niners are to be only 0.500 against the Eagles, let that loss be now, not later :-).

[Mick]

I think the three extra days of rest that the 49ers have will help them overcome the Eagles. Also helps that their OL is back at full strength, which is good because the Eagles have the sixth best pressure on QBs:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/49e...237ce&ei=9

Saw that Frank Reich was fired after Carolina's 1-10 start. How happy is Steve Wilks that he didn't get that job?

49ers' Steve Wilks clearly dodged a bullet in missing out on Panthers job

[Mick]

I think the three extra days of rest that the 49ers have will help them overcome the Eagles. Also helps that their OL is back at full strength, which is good because the Eagles have the sixth best pressure on QBs:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/49e...237ce&ei=9

Saw that Frank Reich was fired after Carolina's 1-10 start. How happy is Steve Wilks that he didn't get that job?

49ers' Steve Wilks clearly dodged a bullet in missing out on Panthers job

[skip75]

Anyway, I think part of the reason the Niners are favored, aside from having a more dominant team, is people expect the crazy Eagles good fortune at all crucial moments to run out, and it should.

I agree that the Eagles have experienced "crazy good fortune", perhaps even historical good fortune.  Ed Werder tweeted out that the Bills had 500+ yards on offense (505), 10+ 3rd down conversions (13), and a positive turnover margin (+1).  Since the 1970 merger, 40 teams have accomplished this, and the Bills are the first of those 40 to lose.

But it's hard to figure how much is good fortune and how much is talent and tenacity.  The Eagles now have 8 consecutive wins in games where they have trailed by 10 or more points.  In 5 of their wins this season (including the last 4), they have trailed at halftime.  And Jalen Hurts has 14 consecutive wins over teams with winning records - the longest such streak since 1950.

I think that the 49ers are better than the Eagles, but a team with a with a record and culture of overcoming adversity can be difficult to put away.  Should be fun to watch.

[skip75]

Anyway, I think part of the reason the Niners are favored, aside from having a more dominant team, is people expect the crazy Eagles good fortune at all crucial moments to run out, and it should.

I agree that the Eagles have experienced "crazy good fortune", perhaps even historical good fortune.  Ed Werder tweeted out that the Bills had 500+ yards on offense (505), 10+ 3rd down conversions (13), and a positive turnover margin (+1).  Since the 1970 merger, 40 teams have accomplished this, and the Bills are the first of those 40 to lose.

But it's hard to figure how much is good fortune and how much is talent and tenacity.  The Eagles now have 8 consecutive wins in games where they have trailed by 10 or more points.  In 5 of their wins this season (including the last 4), they have trailed at halftime.  And Jalen Hurts has 14 consecutive wins over teams with winning records - the longest such streak since 1950.

I think that the 49ers are better than the Eagles, but a team with a with a record and culture of overcoming adversity can be difficult to put away.  Should be fun to watch.

[OutsiderFan]

To get to SB Niners probably will have to beat Philly twice.  In Philly.

IMO they only have to beat Philly in Philly once, the second time they play them. Both teams want to win this game, but in reality it isn't as important as it seems. Both teams will almost assuredly win their divisions. Philly has the inside track to the best record, and still will have after this game, win or lose. If the 49ers win, they will still need help even if they win out. If the Niners are to be only 0.500 against the Eagles, let that loss be now, not later :-).

I don't know. Goose may be right from a "rational" standpoint that the game doesn't mean much because the teams will likely play again in the playoffs, but from an emotional perspective, this game is very meaningful. Everyone coaching and playing will have to manage their emotions and not make too much of a big deal about it, so they don't psyche themselves out over it. But I'm guessing Jed York, John Lynch, the front and back office all are feeling this game is epic in importance.

To me, this Eagles game is the most emotionally meaningful regular season one for the San Francisco Forty-Niners Football Club since they hosted the Dallas Cowboys in the 1994 season. And it is arguably the biggest road regular season game they have ever played. I don't think people realize how much of a bitter taste the entire organization has in its mouth from the 2022 NFC CG loss after Purdy went out of the game. They felt they had the better team and weren't even given a chance to compete, a year after being a dropped INT from being in the Super Bowl, two years removed from leading by 10 in the 4th Quarter of a Super Bowl before losing. Who knows if they were better than the Eagles or would have won had Purdy played the whole NFCCG game, but that's beside the point. 

I remember listening to the pre-game show on the radio driving from a college event at Sacramento State to Sacramento Live to see that 1994 Cowboys-Niners tilt. Joe Starkey made it sound like the Cowboys were invincible and that the Niners organization would be crushed if they lost that day after losing the NFCCG to them in consecutive seasons. If they weren't going to beat them then, how would they ever beat them? This game isn't at home like that Cowboys game was, so maybe not quite as much pressure to win, but it is still epic and I would argue the biggest regular season game since that November day in 1994 that ended with Cowboys 17 Niners 24.

[OutsiderFan]

To get to SB Niners probably will have to beat Philly twice.  In Philly.

IMO they only have to beat Philly in Philly once, the second time they play them. Both teams want to win this game, but in reality it isn't as important as it seems. Both teams will almost assuredly win their divisions. Philly has the inside track to the best record, and still will have after this game, win or lose. If the 49ers win, they will still need help even if they win out. If the Niners are to be only 0.500 against the Eagles, let that loss be now, not later :-).

I don't know. Goose may be right from a "rational" standpoint that the game doesn't mean much because the teams will likely play again in the playoffs, but from an emotional perspective, this game is very meaningful. Everyone coaching and playing will have to manage their emotions and not make too much of a big deal about it, so they don't psyche themselves out over it. But I'm guessing Jed York, John Lynch, the front and back office all are feeling this game is epic in importance.

To me, this Eagles game is the most emotionally meaningful regular season one for the San Francisco Forty-Niners Football Club since they hosted the Dallas Cowboys in the 1994 season. And it is arguably the biggest road regular season game they have ever played. I don't think people realize how much of a bitter taste the entire organization has in its mouth from the 2022 NFC CG loss after Purdy went out of the game. They felt they had the better team and weren't even given a chance to compete, a year after being a dropped INT from being in the Super Bowl, two years removed from leading by 10 in the 4th Quarter of a Super Bowl before losing. Who knows if they were better than the Eagles or would have won had Purdy played the whole NFCCG game, but that's beside the point. 

I remember listening to the pre-game show on the radio driving from a college event at Sacramento State to Sacramento Live to see that 1994 Cowboys-Niners tilt. Joe Starkey made it sound like the Cowboys were invincible and that the Niners organization would be crushed if they lost that day after losing the NFCCG to them in consecutive seasons. If they weren't going to beat them then, how would they ever beat them? This game isn't at home like that Cowboys game was, so maybe not quite as much pressure to win, but it is still epic and I would argue the biggest regular season game since that November day in 1994 that ended with Cowboys 17 Niners 24.

[Goose]

I don't know. Goose may be right from a "rational" standpoint that the game doesn't mean much because the teams will likely play again in the playoffs, but from an emotional perspective, this game is very meaningful. Everyone coaching and playing will have to manage their emotions and not make too much of a big deal about it, so they don't psyche themselves out over it. But I'm guessing Jed York, John Lynch, the front and back office all are feeling this game is epic in importance.

I absolutely agree this game is meaningful. It will be psychologically more difficult to beat the Eagles next time if you can't do it this time. OTOH, I also agree that the Niners are going to manage their emotions because 1) It will help them play better, and 2) the "rational" fact that this game isn't the playoff game where they indeed must win. Professional players understand this. Yes, they want to win, but no, the outcome isn't "pivotal" or "decisive", or even "epic". The next one in the playoffs would arguably be all those things. IMO the players (on both teams) will largely keep that difference in mind. The fans are however another story :-).

[Goose]

I don't know. Goose may be right from a "rational" standpoint that the game doesn't mean much because the teams will likely play again in the playoffs, but from an emotional perspective, this game is very meaningful. Everyone coaching and playing will have to manage their emotions and not make too much of a big deal about it, so they don't psyche themselves out over it. But I'm guessing Jed York, John Lynch, the front and back office all are feeling this game is epic in importance.

I absolutely agree this game is meaningful. It will be psychologically more difficult to beat the Eagles next time if you can't do it this time. OTOH, I also agree that the Niners are going to manage their emotions because 1) It will help them play better, and 2) the "rational" fact that this game isn't the playoff game where they indeed must win. Professional players understand this. Yes, they want to win, but no, the outcome isn't "pivotal" or "decisive", or even "epic". The next one in the playoffs would arguably be all those things. IMO the players (on both teams) will largely keep that difference in mind. The fans are however another story :-).

[Mick]

I don't know. Goose may be right from a "rational" standpoint that the game doesn't mean much because the teams will likely play again in the playoffs, but from an emotional perspective, this game is very meaningful. Everyone coaching and playing will have to manage their emotions and not make too much of a big deal about it, so they don't psyche themselves out over it. But I'm guessing Jed York, John Lynch, the front and back office all are feeling this game is epic in importance.

I absolutely agree this game is meaningful. It will be psychologically more difficult to beat the Eagles next time if you can't do it this time. OTOH, I also agree that the Niners are going to manage their emotions because 1) It will help them play better, and 2) the "rational" fact that this game isn't the playoff game where they indeed must win. Professional players understand this. Yes, they want to win, but no, the outcome isn't "pivotal" or "decisive", or even "epic". The next one in the playoffs would arguably all those things. IMO the players (on both teams) will largely keep that difference in mind. The fans are however another story :-).

Shanahan and Wilks need to be on top of their game. For me, the Eagle loss started when Shanahan failed to challenge the long reception by DeVonta Smith on 4th and 3 on the first drive. Replays indicated he didn't catch it.

I've been thinking about this game a bit. If the 49ers lose, it won't have a great impact on them. They'll still win the division, Shanahan and Wilks will tear apart what went right or wrong. If the Eagles lose, at home to the 49ers, it will sit and play in their heads. It will reject their conventional wisdom that they are vastly superior to the 49ers. Their only-in-Philly fans will turn on them. And their luck will have run out.

[Mick]

I don't know. Goose may be right from a "rational" standpoint that the game doesn't mean much because the teams will likely play again in the playoffs, but from an emotional perspective, this game is very meaningful. Everyone coaching and playing will have to manage their emotions and not make too much of a big deal about it, so they don't psyche themselves out over it. But I'm guessing Jed York, John Lynch, the front and back office all are feeling this game is epic in importance.

I absolutely agree this game is meaningful. It will be psychologically more difficult to beat the Eagles next time if you can't do it this time. OTOH, I also agree that the Niners are going to manage their emotions because 1) It will help them play better, and 2) the "rational" fact that this game isn't the playoff game where they indeed must win. Professional players understand this. Yes, they want to win, but no, the outcome isn't "pivotal" or "decisive", or even "epic". The next one in the playoffs would arguably all those things. IMO the players (on both teams) will largely keep that difference in mind. The fans are however another story :-).

Shanahan and Wilks need to be on top of their game. For me, the Eagle loss started when Shanahan failed to challenge the long reception by DeVonta Smith on 4th and 3 on the first drive. Replays indicated he didn't catch it.

I've been thinking about this game a bit. If the 49ers lose, it won't have a great impact on them. They'll still win the division, Shanahan and Wilks will tear apart what went right or wrong. If the Eagles lose, at home to the 49ers, it will sit and play in their heads. It will reject their conventional wisdom that they are vastly superior to the 49ers. Their only-in-Philly fans will turn on them. And their luck will have run out.

[OutsiderFan]

Shanahan and Wilks need to be on top of their game. For me, the Eagle loss started when Shanahan failed to challenge the long reception by DeVonta Smith on 4th and 3 on the first drive. Replays indicated he didn't catch it.

Hopefully Shanahan now has a better process than him looking up at the video board in the stadium to make challenge calls. Perhaps the Eagles are only going to show favorable replays in their stadium? Like maybe Kyle should have a coach in the booth responsible for watching the TV replays who can have messages relayed to him in real time? MLB and NHL team benches are always looking at TV replays before deciding to challenge calls or not. Seems it should be very easy to do this in the NFL.

[OutsiderFan]

Shanahan and Wilks need to be on top of their game. For me, the Eagle loss started when Shanahan failed to challenge the long reception by DeVonta Smith on 4th and 3 on the first drive. Replays indicated he didn't catch it.

Hopefully Shanahan now has a better process than him looking up at the video board in the stadium to make challenge calls. Perhaps the Eagles are only going to show favorable replays in their stadium? Like maybe Kyle should have a coach in the booth responsible for watching the TV replays who can have messages relayed to him in real time? MLB and NHL team benches are always looking at TV replays before deciding to challenge calls or not. Seems it should be very easy to do this in the NFL.