Jan. 11, 2026, 6:28 a.m. ET

Here we go again! The Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers meet in a postseason game. This is only the third time that has happened, with both sides owning a victory.

San Francisco’s win came first, a shutout 14-0 win in 1996. Philadelphia earned a measure of revenge almost three years ago. The Eagles crafted a blowout win over the 49ers by a 31-7 margin. What might the Wild Card Round bring this time around? Here are a handful of predictions.

Jalen Hurts tallies 50 rushing yards or more.

Everyone has asked for this all season. The Eagles’ offense is more dangerous when Jalen Hurts runs, and now they’re in the playoffs. There’s no sense in being conservative now.

Finally, Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo can empty the bag (we hope). Hurts does work with his legs here, en route to an additional 50 yards gained on the ground.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.Saquon Barkley uncorks a 40-yard run. Tank Bigsby breaks one for 20 yards.

Saquon Barkley hasn’t been the explosive runner he was last season. There are many reasons for that. One is that the offensive line hasn’t been 100% healthy. He has been tagged behind the line much more often than he was in 2024.

Still, he’s reached the 1,000-yard plateau, and lately, we’ve seen some positive flashes. He breaks at least one in this one, and for you Tank Bigsby fans, you’ll be happy to know he breaks a long-gainer in this one, too.

Vic Fangio’s defense forces two turnovers.

The Eagles’ defense has come up with timely turnovers. Unfortunately, the offense hasn’t capitalized on every extra opportunity to score. Sometimes, that’s needed in the postseason, though, and as good as Vic Fangio’s unit has been, we expect them to come up with some huge plays to swing momentum.

How? You guys can all discuss the details among yourselves. Two interceptions? An interception and a fumble? Two fumbles? We couldn’t care less how it happens. We’d just like to see some splash plays and some game-altering moments.

Jake Elliott is perfect on his field-goal and extra-point attempts.

Jake has been awful at times. That can’t be denied, but we’ve arrived at January, and fingers are crossed that ‘Postseason Jake Elliott’ shows up. There’s a chance that he will.

In his playoff career, he has made all five of his attempts from 20-29 yards and all 11 of his attempts from 30-39 yards. He has made all eight tries from 40-49 and two of his three attempts from beyond 50 yards.

No one knows how much he’ll be called on, but it stands to reason we’ll see him at some point. Here comes a perfect day. He nails all of his extra-point tries and his field-goal attempts.

We also expect to see some gambles, maybe a few attempts on fourth down. This is a one-and-done season, and the Eagles certainly won’t leave this one with any regrets.

This one ends with the Eagles’ defense making one final stand in their own territory.

Despite injuries, the 49ers have rarely shown that they struggle to score. They were, however, held to three in their Week 18 loss. Trent Williams missed that game. The Eagles will have to score to win this game.

Until further notice, however, it’s Vic Fangio’s defense that has carried this team for much of the season. This one ends like a few Eagles games have this season: Philadelphia’s defense is on the field to win it, with a last-minute stand thwarting a comeback. Prediction: Eagles 27, 49ers 23