A win on Saturday would have given the 49ers and coach Kyle Shanahan an extra week of rest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, they will face the defending champions in the wild-card round.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shanahan provided his evaluation of\u00a0his team\u2019s\u00a0first-round foe, the Philadelphia Eagles, during a conference call with local reporters on Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re still really early into [preparation], but we know how good Philly is and how good they’ve been,\u201d Shanahan explained. \u201cWe know they have a great defense.\u00a0They\u2019ve\u00a0got\u00a0a very talented\u00a0and good offense in terms of how well they run the ball and some of the playmakers they have and the issue that their quarterback presents.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Eagles won the NFC East for the third time in four\u00a0seasons, but\u00a0did not look as fearsome as they were\u00a0in their 14-win 2024 season.\u00a0Their offense scuffled this\u00a0season in particular, averaging\u00a0just 22.3 points per game (19th\u00a0in the NFL) compared to 27.2 points per game last season (7th).\u00a0<\/p>\n
But even in a down year, their offensive star power\u00a0remains\u00a0with key players such as quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon\u00a0Barkley\u00a0and wide receiver A.J. Brown. Shanahan is not overlooking their talent\u00a0in the wake of a lower output this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Philadelphia defense\u00a0remains\u00a0stout, allowing just\u00a019.1 points per game this season.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0the fifth-best scoring defense in the NFL in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve had a Super Bowl defense for a few years now, so we know those will be the biggest challenges,\u201d Shanahan noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Moving the ball in the cold Philadelphia weather against a solid defense will be a key concern for Shanahan and the 49ers.<\/p>\n
In the six games since Brock Purdy\u2019s return in Week\u00a011, the 49ers averaged 35.7 points per game, the best in the NFL in that span. That production came to a screeching halt against the Seattle Seahawks in their 13-3 loss on Saturday<\/a>. It was the lowest point total\u00a0for San Francisco since Shanahan\u2019s first game as head coach.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shanahan was asked if the Eagles\u2019 defense presents a similar challenge to that of the Seahawks\u2019 defense.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I mean they\u2019ve got a really good pass\u00a0rush\u00a0and then they\u2019ve got tight coverage, so that is a similar part of it,\u201d Shanahan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shanahan was\u00a0dealt\u00a0a tough hand with a short week of preparation\u00a0ahead of the Week 18 matchup against the Seahawks, but the 49ers now have an extra day to prepare for the first-round matchup against the Eagles.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe were excited that it\u00a0was on\u00a0a Sunday so we\u00a0can\u00a0have a normal seven-day week,\u201d Shanahan explained.\u00a0\u201cSo, came in this morning treating it like a true Monday, just finished with the players and put Seattle game all to bed with them and now we’re getting going on Philly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Shanahan and the 49ers obviously would have preferred a first-round bye to rest up and have\u00a0homefield\u00a0advantage for their playoff run, but there hardly was any lamentation\u00a0after Saturday\u2019s loss as Shanahan\u00a0told his team to embrace the hard road ahead<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think\u00a0that’s\u00a0what our guys are ready for. I mean, to go all into that game, I\u00a0don’t\u00a0think we\u00a0cared\u00a0who we played…\u201d Shanahan said. \u201c…Right now, you\u00a0can’t\u00a0get\u00a0picky\u00a0about who you play, whether\u00a0it’s\u00a0the defending\u00a0champs\u00a0or whether\u00a0it’s\u00a0the seventh seed. This is the playoffs.\u00a0Everyone’s\u00a0earned the right to be here.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to reach your\u00a0ultimate goal, you\u2019ve got to be good enough to beat anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n