The San Francisco 49ers will travel to Philadelphia to play the defending Super Bowl Champion Eagles next weekend in the Wild Card round of the NFC playoffs. The 49ers are the 6th seed in the NFC, which means they will play a much tougher opening round game than if they had been the 5th seed. The 5th seed team, the Los Angeles Rams, will face the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.
Update: The 49ers and Eagles will play on Sunday, January 11 at 1:30 p.m. PT (4:30 p.m. ET). FOX will broadcast the game.
The 49ers had a chance to win the number one seed in the NFC, which would include home-field advantage and a first-round bye. But a 13-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks spoiled that. And now the 49ers will have to win three road games to get to the Super Bowl. And with the way the team's injury-riddled defense has been playing, it's hard to picture San Francisco being able to win three tough road postseason games.
San Francisco (12-5) has faced, and for the most part, overcome a lot of adversity this season. The team lost several players, including Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Mykel Williams, to season-ending injuries. They also lost other key players like Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Ricky Pearsall for much of the season. Considering all they've been through, the 49ers and their fans should be proud to have accomplished what they have. But no one at 4949 Marie P DeBartolo Way is content with just making it to the postseason.
After Saturday's loss to Seattle, safety Malik Mustapha didn't hold back, saying, "I know the guys are furious after this, and we're going to use that fuel to play our next opponent." The work isn't finished, and everyone in the 49ers locker room knows that. The 49ers have a lot of young players, but they also still have plenty of veteran leaders who know that the postseason is a different animal.
The Eagles, meanwhile, finished the season 11-6. Philadelphia's season has been up-and-down. At times, they've looked like a Super Bowl contender. But at other times, they haven't. Still, they will be a difficult matchup for the 49ers. The Eagles have a strong defense, led by former 49ers' Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio.
The Philadelphia offense will be a challenge for the 49ers' struggling defense, as well. San Francisco will have to play its best game of the season on both sides of the ball to win the game and move on to the next round.
Here's the complete NFC playoff picture:
- #1 seed Seattle will have a first-round bye. They will host the lowest-seeded team in the divisional round.
- #2 seed Chicago Bears will host the #7 seed Green Bay Packers.
- #3 seed Eagles will host the #6 seed 49ers
- #4 seed Carolina Panthers will host the #5 seed Los Angeles Rams.