49ers should feel even better about playoff rematch despite Eagles' latest win
The San Francisco 49ers won't have the chance to move into one seed when they face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13, but they can afford to feel much more confident about their looming NFC Championship Game rematch. Philadelphia improved to 10-1 in thrilling fashion on Sunday as they survived an incredible effort from Josh […]
The San Francisco 49ers won't have the chance to move into one seed when they face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13, but they can afford to feel much more confident about their looming NFC Championship Game rematch.
Philadelphia improved to 10-1 in thrilling fashion on Sunday as they survived an incredible effort from Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to prevail 37-34 in overtime.
The Eagles remain two games ahead of the 49ers and the Detroit Lions in the race for the one seed in the NFC, but the effort they put in to see off Buffalo could have a lasting impact on the matchup with San Francisco.
San Francisco will have the benefit of three days extra rest having cruised to victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thanksgiving night, with the advantage exacerbated by the amount of time the Philadelphia defense spent on the field against the Bills.
The Eagles' defense was on the field for 92 plays, the Bills holding the ball for 40 minutes and 30 seconds as they dominated time of possession.
That effort followed a Monday Night Football game with the Kansas City Chiefs during which the Eagles had their defense on the field for 74 plays as Kansas City held the ball for over 32 minutes.
In other words, the Eagles' defense has had very little opportunity to rest and has played successive games in which it has face elongated periods of action ahead of a meeting with a fresh 49ers team that has the number one offense in the NFL by DVOA and Expected Points Added per play.
As such, the matchup between the Eagles' defense and the San Francisco offense would appear to be tilting in the favor of the 49ers.
There likely won't be any mention of the difference in the rest in the 49er locker room this week and the Niners certainly won't allow complacency to creep in as a result.
However, efforts such as those the Eagles have had to deliver in the last two games take their toll, and it is up to the 49ers to ensure they take advantage of the rest disparity in a game likely to play a defining role in their season.
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