For the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, their dream of returning to the Super Bowl was somewhat surprisingly shattered in the first play-off round. The franchise around star quarterback Jalen Hurts lost to the San Francisco 49ers 19:23.
The Eagles blew a 16-10 lead in the final quarter against the injury-plagued 49ers, where tight end George Kittle tore his Achilles tendon. San Francisco will now face the top seed Seattle Seahawks in the quarterfinals.
The difference was made by Christian McCaffrey, who caught two touchdowns in the final quarter. “Our team is fighting. We take it day by day and always give it our all. Whether in training or in the game. I can’t say enough good things about this team“said the 29-year-old 49ers professional.”We concentrated on every single move, we knew it would be a twelve-round fight. Nothing bothered us and we trusted each other.”
The 49ers’ trick play ends with a touchdown
What was special was his first touchdown, which really brought the 49ers back into the game. The team was never far behind, but until then the Eagles seemed to be in control of the game. A trick play, at the end of which Jauan Jenkins fired the long pass to McCaffrey instead of quarterback Brock Purdy, made it possible to take the first lead after the 7-0 lead in the first quarter. This made San Francisco the team with the momentum. Bitter for San Francisco: Tight end George Kittle injured his Achilles tendon in the first quarter. It is unclear whether he will play against Seattle next weekend.