FOOTBALL: 49ers battle past defending champ Eagles in wild-card showdown

Brock Purdy threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey with 2:54 remaining as the San Francisco 49ers ended the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles’ season with a 23-19 victory in Sunday’s NFC wild-card playoff game in Philadelphia.

The 49ers advanced to the NFC divisional round, where they will visit the Seattle Seahawks next weekend. Chicago will host Los Angeles in the other NFC divisional matchup. Philadelphia had been 5-0 at home in the playoffs under head coach Nick Sirianni.

“It was not an easy task. Obviously it’s the NFL and it never is,” Purdy said after the game. “For us to come in here and just do whatever it takes, you wish you could play a little better in certain areas. But at the end of the day, it’s a fourth-quarter game and you’ve got to go score for your season and your team.”

Purdy finished with 262 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. McCaffrey totaled 114 yards from scrimmage and caught two touchdown passes. Demarcus Robinson had six receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown as San Francisco improved to 8-2 on the road this season.

Jalen Hurts threw for 168 yards and a touchdown for Philadelphia, while Saquon Barkley rushed for 106 yards. Dallas Goedert made history by becoming the first tight end in NFL playoff history to rush for a touchdown and also added a receiving score.

The game featured three lead changes in the fourth quarter.

San Francisco took the lead on the opening snap of the final quarter with a trick play, as wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey. Eddy Pineiro’s extra point gave the 49ers a 17-16 advantage.

After Quinyon Mitchell intercepted Purdy for the second time, the Eagles reclaimed the lead on Jake Elliott’s 33-yard field goal with eight minutes remaining, making it 19-17.

Purdy answered with a decisive 10-play, 66-yard drive capped by the go-ahead touchdown pass to McCaffrey. Pineiro missed the extra point, but San Francisco held on for the win.

“Brock had a couple of mistakes with the interceptions,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “But to come back on that last drive and get us in the end zone, go through his progressions, and make the play — I’m really proud of the guys.”

Philadelphia crossed midfield in the final two minutes and reached the San Francisco 20-yard line, but the drive stalled. On fourth-and-11 with 43 seconds left, Hurts’ pass intended for Goedert was broken up by linebacker Eric Kendricks.

“What I said to the guys is adversity shapes you if you allow it to,” Sirianni said. “There’s a lot to be thankful for, but you have to use this pain to shape who you want to become.”

San Francisco struck first on the game’s second snap when Robinson hauled in a 61-yard catch-and-run. Four plays later, Purdy connected with Robinson on a 2-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead.

Philadelphia responded on its opening drive with a 1-yard sweep by Goedert. Elliott’s extra-point attempt hit the left upright in windy conditions, cutting the deficit to 7-6 midway through the first quarter.

The Eagles took a 13-7 lead in the second quarter after a 16-play, 94-yard drive that included two fourth-down conversions. Hurts converted a fourth-and-1 sneak at midfield and later found Goedert for a 9-yard touchdown on fourth-and-2.

Pineiro’s 36-yard field goal with 2:50 left in the half pulled the 49ers within 13-10. However, San Francisco lost star tight end George Kittle, who was carted off with an Achilles injury.

“Losing Kittle early was tough for everyone,” Shanahan said. “But the guys stepped up, competed, and made plays.”

The second half remained scoreless until Elliott drilled a 41-yard field goal with 2:11 left in the third quarter, giving Philadelphia a 16-10 lead before the dramatic final stretch.

— Field Level Media/Reuters