It didn't take long for one of the key players in Sunday's NFC Championship Game rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers to stoke the flames of their burgeoning rivalry.

The 49ers travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles on Sunday and will be out for revenge having felt they never got an opportunity to compete in the title game because of the torn elbow ligament Brock Purdy suffered on the first offensive series.

Stars such as Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk were not shy in voicing their view that the 49ers would have won the game, which finished 31-7 to Philadelphia, with a healthy quarterback under center.

The Eagles predictably made note of those comments and edge rusher Haason Reddick, the man whose hit on Purdy's arm led to the injury, has already laid down the gauntlet ahead of what could be the game of the year in the NFL.

"Talk is cheap," Reddick told KYW Newsradio's Dave Uram after the Eagles' overtime win over the Buffalo Bills. 

"They get to come back in the Linc. It was a lot of boo hoos last year, a lot of crying, a lot of what if, a lot of this, a lot of that."They get a chance to come back in here, line that s*** up and prove it again."

San Francisco has shown the form of a team ready to back up its words. The 49ers have cruised to three successive wins since returning from their bye week, with Purdy producing a string of stellar performances to help the Niners take control of the NFC West and move to the second seed in the conference at 8-3, two games behind the 10-1 Eagles.

The Niners' offense leads the NFL by DVOA, Expected Points Added per play and Success Rate, San Francisco's devastating efficiency on that side of the ball likely a reason why the 49ers opened as a two-point favorite on the road despite the Eagles' superior record.

With San Francisco having had three extra days to rest after playing on Thanksgiving and the Eagles' defense playing 92 snaps against the Bills, the circumstances appear to be perfectly suited for Samuel, Aiyuk and Co. to vindicate their previous comments.

And Reddick's retort will only add to their desire to right a wrong from the painful end to the previous campaign with a potentially season-defining win in Philadelphia.

49ers should feel even better about playoff rematch despite Eagles’ latest win

They have a clear advantage.