San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel has stubbornly refused to retract any of his statements about the rival Philadelphia Eagles.
Since losing the NFC Championship in Philly last January, the sensational wide receiver has described the Eagles as his ‘most hated team’ and referred to cornerback James Bradbury as ‘trash.’
But as of Monday, ahead of this week’s rematch in Philadelphia, Samuel’s disdain for the Eagles had yet to die down: ‘I don’t regret nothing I say.’
Eagles receiver AJ Brown responded in kind, imploring the Philadelphia faithful to ‘troll’ Samuel on social media: ‘You have my permission.’
And as if the typical trash talk weren’t enough, Sunday’s afternoon clash is actually a pivotal matchup.
At 10-1, the Eagles have a strong grasp on the top seed in the NFC playoff picture and a first-round bye, not to mention home-field advantage in a potential NFC championship rematch with the 8-3 Niners.
But with a win on Sunday, Brock Purdy & Co. could pull within a game of Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce and the rest of the the reigning NFC champions.
Curiously, the 49ers opened up as a 2.5-point favorite to do just that, largely because the play of Purdy, who has seven touchdown passes and just one interception over the team’s ongoing three-game win streak.
The 49ers already know what it’s like to face Nick Sirianni’s team without Purdy, who injured his elbow early in the NFC title game, leaving San Francisco without a real quarterback for much of the game.
They lost 31-7 as an apparent result of Purdy’s injury, but one anonymous 49ers player actually blamed the officiating.
‘It felt like once Purdy got hurt, someone at the league called down and said, ”Make sure the Eagles get to the Super Bowl, and not [the Niners],”’ that unnamed player told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Now, with their starting quarterback guiding the offense, San Francisco appears to have moved beyond conspiracy theories and currently boasts the top passing offense in football in terms of quarterback rating.
A 23-year-old Iowa State product who earned Mr. Irrelevant honors as the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy has been a revelation over the last two seasons. And even after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow last January, the former Cyclones star has only entrenched himself atop the 49ers’ depth chart following off-season surgery.
He was particularly sharp in San Francisco’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 19, throwing for 333 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-25 passing.
And Purdy hasn’t overly relied on any one receiver, instead sharing the wealth among wideouts Samuel (34 receptions) and Brandon Aiyuk (45), tight end George Kittle (46), as well as running back Christian McCaffrey (48).
It’s helped that Kyle Shanahan’s team has been largely healthy this season.
Both right guard Spencer Burford (knee) and left guard Aaron Banks (turf toe) have returned to practice following some recent injuries, leaving the 49ers’ depth chart relatively intact for Sunday.
The Eagles, on the other hand, are facing a number of key injuries.
Right tackle Lane Johnson hopes to return from a groin issue on Sunday. He and tight ends Dallas Goedert (forearm) and Grant Calcaterra (ankle) are all listed as ‘questionable.’
All three were inactive on Sunday night as the Eagles pulled off their most impressive win of the season over the visiting Buffalo Bills.
Trailing by three in the final minute, the Eagles’ Jake Elliott sent to the game to overtime with a 59-yard field goal.
But the story was all Hurts in the extra frame as he ran for the winning touchdown on a sloppy night in rainy Philadelphia.
‘That’s who he is, that’s what he does,’ said Eagles receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, who caught one of Hurts’ three touchdown passes on Sunday. ‘He’s shown that over and over and over again. A thing I always say: ”When someone shows you who they are, believe it.” I believe that’s who Jalen is.’
‘There aren’t too many guys that I’ve played with, probably nobody I’ve played with, that’s been more clutch down the stretch,’ agreed Kelce.
‘He’s been so good in crucial situations when things have to happen. That’s a trait not to take lightly. I think if you look at most of the best players, that is a trait that they have to have. It’s a big reason why we’ve won the last three weeks is his ability to really get it down down the stretch when it matters most.’
Hurts was about as good in Super Bowl LVII, throwing 304 yards and a touchdown on 27-of-38 passing before Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes pulled off a miraculous comeback on a bad ankle.
But for the Eagles to get another crack at the Super Bowl, they’ll need to prove themselves against a red-hot, healthy 49ers team that boasts the NFL’s fifth-ranked defense. The Eagles, on the other hand, are just 19th on defense and have surrendered nearly twice as many touchdowns (30 to 17).
So Sunday isn’t just another regular season contest. It’s a significant measuring stick for both teams, and it could serve as an all-important tiebreaker atop the NFC playoff picture: Home-field advantage, a first-round bye, and bragging rights are all on the line.