Eagles vs. 49ers: Players to watch, keys to victory and story lines to know for both teams

Is Brock Purdy legit? Where are the Niners vulnerable? Beat writers for each team break down the NFC championship game.

MVP finalist Jalen Hurts leads his Eagles into the NFC championship game on Sunday against the 49ers.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

Published Jan. 26, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET

The Eagles and 49ers stand in the way of each other for a trip to the Super Bowl. What do fan bases for both teams need to know about the other going into Sunday’s NFC championship game?

Inquirer Eagles beat writer Jeff McLane and San Francisco Chronicle 49ers beat writer Eric Branch posed some key questions to each other about the teams they cover.

Who is the Eagles’ MVP (other than Jalen Hurts)?

McLane: Lane Johnson. There are other candidates, of course, if Hurts isn’t in the voting. Hasson Reddick finished second in the NFL in sacks with 16 and was arguably the NFL’s best defensive player over the last two months of the season. A.J. Brown was all the Eagles had hoped the wide receiver would be when they traded for him last offseason. Counterpart DeVonta Smith was just as instrumental in the pass offense. Center Jason Kelce runs the show on the offensive line and was named first-team All-Pro again. But Johnson’s dominance at right tackle, particularly in pass protection, allows for Nick Sirianni and his offensive coaches to leave him on an island and devote resources elsewhere. Johnson hasn’t allowed a sack in a remarkable 29 games stretching back to 2020 and the Eagles’ record when he is in the lineup (72-44-1) vs. when he isn’t (13-21) over his career speaks to his value. Johnson returned for the divisional playoffs, despite having to play with a torn groin muscle, and was again a wall against the pass rush.

Is 49ers QB Brock Purdy legit?

Branch: Yes. And this comes from someone who was very late to leap on the Purdy bandwagon. I remained skeptical for weeks after the seventh-round rookie took over in early December due to his lack of size and pedestrian arm strength. And, of course, there was also the matter of how hard could it be to run the 49ers’ offense given Mr. Irrelevant’s ridiculous support system that includes a high-level play caller (Kyle Shanahan), All-Pro running back (Christian McCaffrey), All-Pro tight end (George Kittle), All-Pro blindside protector (Trent Williams), Pro Bowl fullback (Kyle Juszczyk), 1,000-yard receiver (Brandon Aiyuk) …

However, I eventually began to appreciate the ways in which Purdy was far more than a robot dinking-and-dunking in Shanahan’s system. The guy can paint outside the lines without making mistakes (three INTs and no fumbles on 229 pass attempts since Dec. 4). He’s flashed excellent pocket presence, accuracy, and elusiveness, along with hard-to-measure intangibles that are so vital to playing quarterback in the NFL. Shanahan has termed him the most poised rookie he’s ever coached and Purdy, a four-year starter at Iowa State, hasn’t hesitated to snap at decorated veterans such as Williams when they don’t pipe down in the huddle. Purdy did return to Earth a bit last Sunday against the Cowboys, the best defense he’s faced, which neutralized much of his off-schedule ability. It won’t get easier for pick No. 262 on Sunday in Philadelphia.

How much were Hurts and Johnson impacted by their injuries against the Giants?

McLane: Johnson, to no surprise, was clearly struggling in the early going. He didn’t allow pressure or miss any blocks, but he hunched over a few times and quickly walked off the field when the Eagles scored on their opening drive. He seemed to improve as the game went on, though, and likely needed time to adjust to playing with the groin injury. He didn’t speak with reporters after the game because he was receiving treatment, but a source close to the tackle said he’ll be ready to go again on Sunday. Hurts looked sharper than he did two weeks earlier when he returned from a shoulder injury for the season finale. There were zero restrictions on Hurts in the run game, however; and on his first pass, he showed that he could air the football out. But he wasn’t 100% and I’m not sure he’ll get there until the season is over.

Does Trent Williams have any weaknesses?

Branch: Um … none that are discernible: There’s a reason he’s been a Pro Bowl selection or a first-team All-Pro (or both) in every season he’s played since 2012. In 2020, in Williams’ first game with the 49ers, he displayed his athleticism, explosiveness, and power with a run block that launched Cardinals linebacker Jordan Hicks into Nevada. And I’ve since become accustomed to what I’d previously considered a rarity: highlight-reel offensive line plays. There was mild social media hysteria in mid-November that Williams’ stance was tipping plays, alerting defenses whether a pass or run was forthcoming. Williams dismissed this as “nonsense.” And Shanahan seemed amused by the notion that the future Hall of Famer was helping out opponents: “We’re pretty good with Trent.” I didn’t notice any changes to Williams’ stance late in the season. Since the issue was raised, the 49ers are 10-0 and have averaged 31.2 points a game.

Is attacking the Eagles’ run defense the 49ers’ path to victory?

McLane: The Eagles have the 21st-ranked run defense in Football Outsiders’ DVOA analytics. But they likely don’t have the top pass defense without giving up a little on the ground. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon wants to entice offenses into running the ball to protect the back end from explosive plays and to test their patience. But there have been games when lesser offenses have controlled the clock, especially early on, and kept the Eagles’ potent offense off the field. I’m not sure that should be Gannon’s formula vs. one of the best run offenses in the NFL and with an inexperienced and unproven quarterback under center. He’ll match the 49ers’ two-back personnel with his 5-2 front, but he may want to keep an extra defender in the box to try and get Purdy into obvious passing downs.

Who should the Eagles attack in the secondary?

Branch: Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is several rungs below corner Charvarius Ward, who has been worth every penny of the three-year, $42 million contract he signed in March. But the biggest liability on their back end could be their only first-team All-Pro or Pro Bowl pick: strong safety Talanoa Hufanga, a 2021 fifth-round pick in his first season as a starter. Hufanga earned his accolades with a host of big plays (four interceptions, two forced fumbles, two sacks, nine pass breakups). But many of those were early in the season before his aggressiveness was a reason he began giving up too many plays in the passing game. Hufanga was responsible for six of the 20 touchdown passes the 49ers allowed. Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans rarely comes close to publicly criticizing players. Given that, it was notable last month that he discussed Hufanga’s need to have better “eye discipline,” meaning he was getting caught peeking into the backfield instead of locking down his coverage responsibilities.

Who is the Eagles’ most vital/least discussed player?

McLane: Again, there are a lot of candidates for that honor. Right guard Isaac Seumalo is the silent type, but he plays his position like a center and is Kelce’s backup in pre-snap protection calls. He’s also been a darn good blocker all season. Linebacker T.J. Edwards has been overlooked his entire career. He doesn’t get nearly enough credit for the job he’s done this season, not only running the defense, but for being around the ball on a consistent basis. But I’m going with tight end Dallas Goedert. He missed five games in the second half of the season due to a shoulder injury, which cost him Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors, but he’s Hurts’ man in the middle. Goedert continually gets open, makes great catches, and when he gets the ball in his hands, is a yards-after-catch machine. When he gets going, the Eagles’ offense is often unstoppable.

What’s the secret to Shanahan’s run schemes?

Branch: Shanahan has been able to refine a system he inherited from his dad, Mike, a two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach, and his father’s longtime right-hand man, Alex Gibbs, an offensive line coach regarded as the godfather of the modern zone-blocking scheme. The scheme, of course, made 1,000-yard rushers out of unheralded Broncos backs such as Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, and helped make Terrell Davis, a sixth-round pick, a Hall of Famer. Kyle Shanahan and his staff do an excellent job teaching intricate schemes that rely on angles and require athletic linemen to reach specific landing areas. It also helps that Shanahan has gradually added so-called “positionless” players such as Deebo Samuel and McCaffrey. Their versatility allows the 49ers to line up in the same formations, but have players in different positions and run both rushing and passing plays.

Besides having plenty of talent, why has Sirianni been successful?

McLane: Sirianni is, first and foremost, an excellent offensive game planner. His scheme is versatile and he stresses being unpredictable. He has structured the system to the strengths of Hurts and his players and is adaptable to how his unit is being defended. He’s become one of the better game managers and has an aggressive mindset. But there is more to Sirianni than just X’s and O’s. He has built a culture that embraces modern day thinking and empowers players. He can be tough when warranted, but his genuineness has endeared the locker room.

What’s the issue with Shanahan’s suspect game management and fourth-down decision-making?

Branch: Shanahan’s in-game decision-making does lean conservative. And that’s partly a reflection of this: The 49ers have had one of the NFL’s best defenses in each of the past four seasons. That is, Shanahan believes he doesn’t need to take as many risks to win because the 49ers typically allow fewer than 20 points. Shanahan’s evolution in this area has been interesting because he’s had to suppress his riverboat-gambler tendencies. After his last game as an offensive coordinator, the Falcons’ Super Bowl loss to the Patriots in which they lost a 25-point second-half lead, he was roasted for being too aggressive in his late-game play-calling. In his first game as a head coach, the 49ers’ loss to Carolina in the 2017 season opener, he twice went for it on fourth down in the first half and failed. At the time, he said he quickly regretted a fourth-and-4 attempt because it was too bold.