For this week’s Sunday night matchup on NBC, the Eagles travel to the west coast to take on the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. This is the first matchup between the two since 2017 when Philadelphia bested San Francisco 33-10. These two teams have gone through a lot since then and both are struggling through several injuries this season. The 49ers are a much-improved team as they finished 6-10 and fourth in NFC West that year. They are 2-1 this year while the Eagles are still winless at 0-2-1.
Eagles
The Eagles are coming off a come-from-behind 23-23 tie against the Cincinnati Bengals last week. Yes, you read that correctly, I said a come-from-behind TIE. Hey, the Eagles will take anything but a loss with how they looked over those first three weeks. Dear NFL, please find a way to get rid of ties.
Anyway, in that game, quarterback Carson Wentz completed 29-47 passes (61.7 percent) for 225 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He also rushed for 65 yards and one touchdown. Wentz isn’t getting any help as two of his top receivers, DeSean Jackson (hamstring) and Alshon Jeffery (foot), are once again out. Greg Ward, who caught eight passes for 72 yards last week, will again be the Eagles’ top receiver with Jalen Reagor (thumb) on the injured reserve and JJ Arcega-Whiteside doubtful for the game. The Eagles signed Deontay Burnett from the practice squad as he joins the likes of John Hightower and Ward as the receivers. Tight end Dallas Goedert (ankle) was also put on the IR which leaves Zach Ertz and Richard Rodgers as the tight ends.
Running back Miles Sanders will have to come up big in this game. He ran for 95 yards on 18 attempts against the Bengals. He averaged 5.3 yards per rush and his longest was 19 yards. The 49ers have given up the 16th most rush yards a game so far, averaging 116.7 rushing yards against. Unfortunately, there is more bad news, as veteran left tackle Jason Peters was also placed on injured reserve with a toe issue. This will certainly hurt the run game and the protection of Wentz; Jordan Mailata will make his first career start in his place.
On the defensive side, Philadelphia will be without cornerbacks Avonte Maddox (ankle) and Trevor Williams (ribs). That means who starts opposite Darius Slay is a big question mark as Nickell Robey-Coleman and Cre’Von LeBlanc are the only other healthy cornerbacks currently on the roster. The Eagles elevated defensive back Grayland Arnold to help fill the secondary depth.
49ers
The 49ers are coming off a 36-9 stomping of the Saquon Barkley-less New York Giants. They will be getting a couple of huge pieces back for their offense this week. Tight end George Kittle makes his return after missing two weeks from a sprained left knee. Receiver Deebo Samuel will make his season debut after suffering a Jones fracture in June. Samuel is not expected to have a huge role in the offense as he will be eased back in. But his presence will be huge for backup quarterback Nick Mullens, who is starting in place of Jimmy Garroppolo (ankle) for the second straight week.
Running back Raheem Mostert (knee sprain) has also been ruled out for the game. The 49ers still have Jerick McKinnon as their starting running back with Tevin Coleman on the IR. The offense will run through Kittle as the Eagles have the likes of Nathan Gerry to cover him. Fantasy-wise, Kittle is the easiest lock to start for the entire week.
The 49ers are also banged up, especially on defense. This could help an extremely depleted Eagles’ offense, but it really might not matter much. Defensive end Nick Bosa (torn ACL) and Dee Ford (back), cornerbacks Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring), and Emmanuel Moseley (concussion), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (quad), and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas (torn ACL) are all unavailable. The second-string 49ers cornerbacks against the second, third, and fourth string Eagles’ receivers will be an important matchup to watch. Whoever can withstand the injuries in the best way will come out on top in this one.
Game Info
Date: October 4, 2020
Start Time: 5:20 P.M. pst
Location: Santa Clara, California
Stadium: Levi’s Stadium
TV Info: NBC
Betting Odds Sponsored by Jazz Sportsbook
Points Spread: SF -7.5 (-110) | PHI +7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: SF -360 | PHI +285
Over/Under: O 45 (-110) | U 45 (-110)
The 49ers getting 7.5 points seems like a lot, but with how the Eagles have looked it isn’t crazy to see them winning by more than a touchdown. In a primetime game with several injuries on both sides, however, look for this one to stay close. The over/under could easily be blown out of the water and that is the best bet to go with for this game.
Prediction
The Eagles will look to finally pull out a victory despite being decimated by injuries, while the 49ers look to avoid falling to .500 a year after playing in the Super Bowl. The Eagles had several injuries back in their Super Bowl run in the 2017 season as well and maybe their path to turning this season around starts with a win under the big lights in primetime. Wentz puts the team on his back to keep this one close, but it isn’t enough as the Eagles remain winless.
Final Score: Philadelphia 27, San Francisco 34
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Alex Kielar on Twitter @AlexKielar
Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
One Response