PHILADELPHIA — Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick still bristles over the chronic complaining of the San Francisco 49ers long after their NFC title loss last January at Lincoln Financial Field.
The game wasn’t close, the Eagles winning 31-7 basically by sending two Niners quarterbacks to the X-ray room. The rematch Sunday is the Niners chance of atonement. It’s the opportunity for high profile 49ers like Deebo Samuel to show how different it would have been had Reddick not knocked quarterback Brock Purdy out of the game on the sixth play with a legal and UCL-damaging sack.
Reddick or one of his teammates will remind Samuel of that every time they reconnect in an anticipated light rain at Lincoln Financial Field (4:25 p.m., FOX-TV, WIP 94.1-FM). If the Eagles win Sunday and the Detroit Lions lose at New Orleans, the Birds’ magic number to clinch the top seed in the conference and homefield throughout the playoffs shrinks to two. Speaking of shrinking, Reddick can’t wait to see how Samuel and his smugger teammates, who are favored by 3 points, react to another punch in the mouth.
“Everything that they felt they were last year, they get a chance to come in here and prove it,” Reddick said. “They talk about us and (being exposed in the) Super Bowl with K.C. Bleep, we played K.C. this year and we were able to get our (win). The 49ers have a chance to line up and try to come in here and get a W.”
Try is the operative word because Reddick believes Samuel and deep threat wide receiver Brandon Aijuk, the author of the “exposed” remarks yet having a stellar season, are digging themselves a grave.
While the statistics say Purdy has elevated his game this season to MVP consideration, the second-year quarterback topping the NFL with a 112.3 passer rating, a 9.4 yards-per-attempt average and a 70.2 completion percentage, the 49ers are 8-3.
“I don’t know, is he better?” Reddick said of Purdy. “I actually think he’s doing the same things he was last year. It’s about people capitalizing on the opportunity. He does throw balls to people, but for some reason, a lot of DBs drop the balls. Whenever it hits their hands, they drop them. He looks like the same guy from last year, just playing well within the system. They move him around so that way he can see outside of the pocket and make plays.”
Truth be told, Reddick and the Eagles’ pass rush are the key to the team’s success because quarterback Jalen Hurts is all but a lock to run and throw for a couple of touchdowns each week. If the Eagles disrupt Purdy’s rhythm the game will be that much more difficult for running back Christian McCaffrey, the Niners’ best player who leads the league with 16 touchdowns.
Make no mistake, the Eagles are vulnerable. The pass defense and cornerback James Bradberry, who Samuel unceremoniously called “trash” after the title game loss last January, have a huge challenge ahead.
While Bradberry doesn’t appreciate Samuel’s choice of words, Eagles receiver A.J. Brown, a friend of the 49er, thinks everybody should chill. No one knows diva receivers like Brown.
“He’s just having fun,” Brown said of Samuel. “I don’t think it’s a shot at Bradberry. That’s just how he talks. He’s a big kid.”
The Eagles have allowed 23 touchdowns through the air this season, second most in the league. Only a concerted effort of the pass rush and coverage will keep McCaffrey, Samuel, deep threat Aijuk and tight end George Kittle from lighting them up.
“We have to make sure that we come ready to play on Sunday,” Eagles veteran Brandon Graham said. “We know that they play hard. We play hard, so it’s going to be one of those games where you don’t let the emotions get the best of you. Make sure you execute because the beginning of games is always emotional. The team that carries out the plan is usually the one that wins. I know for us we’re just going to go out there and carry out our plan and do the best we can to win that game.”
With a chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend the Eagles (10-1) are tired of apologizing for the way they beat teams. Early in the season they stalled in their red zone offense yet prevailed. Then it was turnovers holding them back, then injuries. The past two weeks they’ve bounced back from double digit deficits in the second half to beat two of the top quarterbacks in football, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.
Through it all the formula has remained simple; get within a couple of scores in the fourth quarter and Hurts will find a way.
If the Niners seriously believe their last game would have been much different had Purdy remained healthy, they ought to do something about their protections. This past week Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan, who is supposed to be a genius, said Aiyuk and receiver Ray-Ray McCloud would get opportunities to block Reddick one-on-one in pass situations. Knowing Reddick, that doesn’t sound like much of a plan.
“Rule No. 1 is you have to protect your quarterback,” Bradberry said. “I think most coaches and most players know that in order to be successful in this league, you need a quarterback, and they didn’t protect their quarterback last year and he got hurt. It’s unfortunate. It’s a team game and it takes all 11 guys out there.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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