\u2014 San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Wild Card Preview: 49ers vs. Eagles<\/p>\n Philadelphia is making its fifth consecutive playoff appearance under fifth-year coach Nick Sirianni. San Francisco is in the playoffs for the fifth time under ninth-year head coach Kyle Shanahan. Both coaches have been to two Super Bowls, where Shanahan is 0-2 and Sirianni is 1-1.<\/p>\n Sirianni won their only previous meeting in the playoffs, a 31-7 victory in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 29, 2023 in Philadelphia. Purdy suffered a torn UCL in his throwing elbow in the first quarter of that contest.<\/p>\n The Eagles alternated wild-card losses with Super Bowl runs in their first four postseasons with Sirianni, a pattern that could continue if Philadelphia can\u2019t stop Purdy and Christian McCaffrey and Co.<\/p>\n \u201cI have so much respect for this football team,\u201d Sirianni said of the 49ers on Wednesday. \u201cThey\u2019ve had sustained success. Kyle\u2019s done an unbelievable job there. A ton of respect for him and their players. \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cYou can see how well-coached they are. You can see how talented their players are. You see how hard they play. Physical, fundamentally sound. I can\u2019t say enough about this team and we\u2019ve got to do the things that we know we need to do to be able to go in there and have success.\u201d<\/p>\n Sirianni has stood by his decision to rest multiple starters on both sides of the ball in last Sunday\u2019s 24-17 home loss to the Washington Commanders.<\/p>\n \u201cAny time they get some time off, that definitely helps. That\u2019s why we decided to do what we did. It\u2019s a long season, a marathon of a season,\u201d he said. \u201d \u2026 These guys are warriors. They battle through things throughout the entire year.\u201d<\/p>\n San Francisco likely would have rested key players as well if the top seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage \u2014 up to and including Super Bowl LX at Levi\u2019s Stadium \u2014 hadn\u2019t been at stake in last weekend\u2019s 13-3 home loss against the Seahawks.<\/p>\n Instead, the banged-up 49ers make the cross-country trek to Philadelphia. The 49ers are 7-2 on the road this season and won their most recent game at Lincoln Financial Field, a 42-19 romp in Week 13 of 2023 behind Purdy\u2019s four touchdown passes and McCaffrey\u2019s 133 yards from scrimmage.<\/p>\n That was the season before Vic Fangio became the Eagles\u2019 defensive coordinator and before they drafted defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean and signed linebacker Zack Baun \u2014 all Pro Bowl selections this year, along with third-year defensive tackle Jalen Carter.<\/p>\n \u201cVic, schematically, he\u2019s always been the best to me, as good as anyone there is,\u201d Shanahan said Wednesday. \u201c\u2026 He\u2019s very good at getting a bead on what you\u2019re trying to do and making you adjust.\u201d<\/p>\n Shanahan knows handing Hurts his first home playoff loss won\u2019t be easy.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got a big-time arm. With those wideouts he has and stuff, he\u2019s capable of making any throw \u2026 so you\u2019ve got to honor the entire field with him,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cAny time you have a quarterback who\u2019s capable of doing that who is also a threat on every single play throughout an entire game with his legs, it\u2019s an issue.\u201d<\/p>\n Eagles star right tackle Lane Johnson (foot) practiced Wednesday for the first time since his Nov. 16 injury. The only players who missed the week\u2019s first practice were tight end Grant Calcaterra (ankle) and offensive lineman Brett Toth (concussion).<\/p>\n Left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) and receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee\/ankle) did not practice Wednesday for the 49ers. Neither did LB Dee Winters (ankle) or DE Keion White (groin\/hamstring), while tight end George Kittle (ankle), DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) and LB Luke Gifford (quad) were limited.<\/p>\n \u2013Field Level Media<\/p>\n Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule<\/p>\n Sunday January 11th\u00a0\u2013\u00a0NFC Wild Card Round\u00a0\u2013 @ Philadelphia Eagles \u2013 1:30 PM PT<\/p>\n Thank you for reading\u00a0SactownSports.com<\/a>. Follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Google News<\/a>, and subscribe to our\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0channel.<\/p>\n
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