The Philadelphia Eagles soared over the San Francisco 49ers in a dominant 31-7 win in Sunday's NFC Championship Game. It was far from the prettiest game of football, but Philadelphia took control of the game early and never looked back. With the 49ers unable to throw the ball due to injuries, the Eagles made quick work of their hobbled opponents.
That's not to say that Philadelphia only won because of San Francisco's bad luck, though. The Eagles' defense was absolutely dominant, holding the 49ers to just 164 total yards, 11 first downs, and forcing three turnovers. The offense wasn't spectacular, but Jalen Hurts and co. did enough to get the job done.
With the win, the Eagles advanced to their first Super Bowl since winning Super Bowl 52. They'll see a familiar face when they take on former head coach Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57. Reid coached the Eagles from 1999 to 2012, and even brought them to a Super Bowl in 2004. Now, he and his former team will face off on the NFL's biggest stage.
Before looking ahead to the Super Bowl, though, it's important to note who got Philadelphia to this point, and who might need to show a bit more in the big game. Without further ado, here are the Eagles' studs and duds from the NFC Championship Game.
*Wear the moment: Get ready for the Super Bowl with Eagles gear from BreakingT*
STUDS
Miles Sanders – RB
In terms of yardage, Sanders didn't have his best game on Sunday. Just 11 carries for 42 yards, an average of 3.8 yards per carry, isn't exactly a dominant performance for a running back, especially one like Sanders. However, the Eagles back didn't need to put up a crazy amount of yards to be a stud on Sunday.
The reason Sanders lands on this list is because he scored two key touchdowns in the first half. He first scored from six yards out to get the Eagles on the board, then scored from 13 yards out to give them the lead for good. In a game where the Eagles' offense struggled much more than usual, Sanders' two scores were instrumental in the win.
Haason Reddick – LB
Philadelphia's defense feasted on the helpless 49ers offense on Sunday. With Brock Purdy unable to throw due to his elbow injury and no backups left, the 49ers could only run the ball, and they usually ran into a brick wall. Even when they passed early in the game, though, they still couldn't move the ball much. The Eagles' defense as a whole deserves a ton of credit, but Reddick was the clear star of the show.
Reddick, who finished second in the league with 16 sacks in the regular season, was a monster on Sunday. The former Temple Owl finished the game with three tackles, two sacks, one QB hit a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The Eagles' star pass rusher was all over the field in this game and was easily their best player. Plus, it was Reddick who knocked out Purdy in the first quarter.
Javon Hargrave – DT
That said, another member of the Philadelphia defensive line also made his case for the game's MVP. Hargrave had a career year in 2022, finishing with 11 sacks in the regular season. On Sunday, he showed just how disruptive he can be when he's on his game.
Hargrave finished the game with two tackles, one sack, one QB hit and a pass defended for good measure. Even when he wasn't making an impact on the stat sheet, he was still causing problems for the 49ers' offensive line. A great performance all around for the seven-year veteran.
DUDS
Fletcher Cox – DT
Cox is usually the face of the Eagles' defensive front, but that wasn't the case on Sunday. The longtime Eagle had a good game against the New York Giants in the Divisional Round, posting four tackles and a sack. On Sunday, though, he only had a single tackle, and it wasn't even a solo one.
With the rest of the defense dominating so much, Cox didn't need to have a great game for Philadelphia to win convincingly. However, the Eagles are playing against Patrick Mahomes in their next game, and they need Cox to be at his best in that game.
Quez Watkins – WR
As a whole, Philadelphia's passing game was very ineffective on Sunday. Jalen Hurts completed 15-of-25 passes for only 121 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. The team's leading receiver was DeVonta Smith with just two catches for 36 yards (and most of those yards shouldn't have counted).
Of all the receivers, though, Watkins had the most uneventful game. Hurts only targeted Watkins once, and the latter had no receptions all game. Now, Watkins isn't a star receiver or anything, but no catches is still disappointing.
Follow Us
Subscribe