01/11/26 07:16:00
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01/11 19:15 CST Purdy, 49ers eliminate defending Super Bowl champion Eagles
with 23-19 win in wild-card game
Purdy, 49ers eliminate defending Super Bowl champion Eagles with 23-19 win in
wild-card game
By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --- Brock Purdy threw a go-ahead 6-yard touchdown pass to
Christian McCaffrey late in the fourth quarter, San Francisco used a trick play
on a TD toss from wide receiver Jauan Jennings, and the 49ers eliminated the
defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles with a 23-19 wild-card
victory Sunday.
The 49ers head to top-seeded Seattle next weekend for an NFC divisional playoff
game. The NFC West rivals split the season series.
Purdy threw for 262 yards and got the road win in Philadelphia he failed to get
three seasons ago when he was injured in a dismal outing in Philadelphia in a
loss in the NFC title game.
Purdy had two passes intercepted in this one by All-Pro cornerback Quinyon
Mitchell, but the Eagles scored just three points off the turnovers.
The 49ers could head to Seattle without star tight end George Kittle, who was
carted off the field with a right Achilles tendon injury late in the first half.
The Eagles --- who won a Super Bowl on a trick play --- were foiled by one when
Jennings was pitched the ball and rolled right and hit McCaffrey on a 29-yard
touchdown. The score on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the 49ers a
17-16 lead.
Jennings had 66 yards receiving and 48 rushing in addition to his TD pass.
The Eagles would only get Jake Elliott's 33-yard field goal in the quarter for
a brief 19-17 lead.
Philadelphia was again doomed by a lethargic offensive effort under embattled
offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo that cost it a shot at a repeat
championship. Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts threw for only 168 yards and a
touchdown and the Eagles failed to build off a 13-10 halftime lead by totaling
only 36 total yards in the third quarter on 16 plays.
Hurts was incomplete on a last-gasp fourth-and-11 attempt with 43 seconds left
that ended their final drive.
The game never reached its offensive slugfest potential after the teams traded
touchdowns on their opening drives.
Purdy, rendered ineffective by a torn ligament in his right elbow on the
opening drive against the Eagles in a disastrous NFC title game loss three
seasons ago, completed all three passes for 74 yards and capped the drive with
a 2-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson. Robinson had 111 yards receiving.
The Eagles tied it on a 1-yard sweep by Dallas Goedert, their red zone go-to
ace with 11 TD receptions who became the first tight end to rush for a score in
NFL postseason history.
The Eagles turned again to Goedert on fourth down when Hurts hit him for a
9-yard TD that made it 13-7.
Eddy Pineiro kicked a 36-yarder for the 49ers that cut it to 13-10 at halftime.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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