The NFL Wild Card Weekend matchups have been set for less than a day, but pundits already are making their predictions.
Former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy believes Philadelphia will beat the 49ers on Sunday, he said on the “Speakeasy” podcast.
“[The 49ers] will not win this game, and it won’t be pretty,” McCoy said. “We’re going to beat the hell out of them.”
McCoy pointed to the sturdy Eagles defense to give them the edge over the 49ers. Philadelphia’s defense, according to McCoy, is similar in strength to a Seahawks defense that held the 49ers to just three points in San Francisco’s 13-3 loss on Saturday.
“We strap up and get to the quarterback,” McCoy said of the Eagles’ pass rush. “It’s going to be a night in hell for [Christian McCaffrey] and little [Brock] Purdy.”
The Seattle pass rush was a problem for Purdy. He was sacked a season-high three times in Saturday’s loss. While the Eagles rank in the middle of the NFL with 42.0 sacks this season, giving Purdy more time to operate will be paramount for the 49ers.
McCoy’s co-host, former NFL player and current analyst Emmanuel Acho, said the Eagles’ lackluster run defense could provide coach Kyle Shanahan an opportunity to attack.
“You saw what the Chicago Bears did running the ball to the Eagles — field day,” Acho said. “If you don’t think that Kyle Shanahan is licking his chops — fork out, knife out. Somebody get the gravy. I’m going to town.”
After the 49ers’ loss Saturday, Shanahan lamented his team’s inability to get the run game going. That will surely be a focus for the coach on Sunday.
There’s still a lot of time to go until Sunday’s game, and there will be plenty of time for more predictions and takes. But if McCoy is correct about one thing, there will surely be a focus on Purdy and McCaffrey’s performance in the playoff matchup.
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