🛡️ 49ers Defense vs Eagles Offense — Wild Card (Jan. 11, 2026)
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| Eric Kendricks and Garret Wallow break up a pass from Jalen Hurts to Dallas Goedert during the 49ers defense’s crucial stop in the Wild Card playoff at Philadelphia. |
Shorthanded and missing its two defensive pillars, the 49ers entered Philadelphia without Fred Warner and Nick Bosa — their defensive signal-caller and premier pass rusher.
What followed was not dominance, but disciplined survival. San Francisco absorbed pressure, limited explosive damage, and delivered just enough resistance for the offense to close the game late.
📊 49ers Defensive Snap Counts & PFF Grades — Wild Card vs Eagles
| Player | Pos | PFF Grade | Snaps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Mustapha | S | — | 73 |
| Eric Kendricks | LB | 68.3 | 73 |
| Renardo Green | CB | 71.5 | 73 |
| Deommodore Lenoir | DB | 45.0 | 73 |
| Garret Wallow | LB | — | 72 |
| Upton Stout | CB | — | 52 |
| Sam Okuayinonu | DL | — | 43 |
| Keion White | DL | — | 41 |
| Marques Sigle | S | 73.1 | 40 |
| Yetur Gross-Matos | DL | — | 34 |
| Alfred Collins | DL | 42.4 | 31 |
| Ji'Ayir Brown | S | 78.9 | 31 |
| Bryce Huff | DL | — | 31 |
| Jordan Elliott | DT | 29.0 | 29 |
| CJ West | DL | — | 29 |
| Clelin Ferrell | DE | 40.8 | 28 |
| Kalia Davis | DT | 41.4 | 27 |
| Curtis Robinson | LB | — | 13 |
| Jason Pinnock | S | 65.4 | 10 |
🔦 Key Defensive Insights
🧠 Ji'Ayir Brown — Defensive Anchor
Brown was the defense’s most effective player before exiting with a hamstring injury. He led the unit in overall grade (78.9) and coverage (72.1), providing range and stability that limited Philadelphia’s middle-of-the-field access.
🧱 Run Defense — Uneven but Functional
Despite missing Warner, the run defense held structurally. Sam Okuayinonu graded as the team’s top run defender (78.0), while Jordan Elliott struggled, posting a 30.2 run-defense grade.
The result was containment without dominance — acceptable given the circumstances.
🧲 Tackling — Major Improvement
The defense missed just eight tackles, a dramatic improvement from 18 the previous week.
Eric Kendricks led the unit with an excellent 84.2 tackling grade, providing reliability and calm amid heavy snap volume.
💥 Pass Rush — Pressure Without Closure
Keion White led the team with four pressures, but no defender graded higher than 60.5 as a pass rusher — a mark held by rookie CJ West.
Without Bosa, disruption came in moments rather than sequences. Hurts was hurried — but rarely finished.
📊 Eagles Offensive Snap Counts & PFF Grades — Wild Card vs 49ers
| Player | Pos | PFF Grade | Snaps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Mailata | T | 96.1 | 73 |
| Landon Dickerson | G | 69.0 | 73 |
| Cam Jurgens | C | 69.0 | 73 |
| A.J. Brown | WR | 86.0 | 73 |
| Jalen Hurts | QB | 65.9 | 73 |
| Tyler Steen | OL | 79.5 | 72 |
| Fred Johnson | T | — | 72 |
| Dallas Goedert | TE | 90.0 | 67 |
| DeVonta Smith | WR | 89.0 | 67 |
| Saquon Barkley | RB | 80.0 | 62 |
| Jahan Dotson | WR | — | 38 |
| Darius Cooper | WR | — | 21 |
| Grant Calcaterra | TE | 55.0 | 20 |
| Tank Bigsby | RB | 86.0 | 8 |
| Kylen Granson | TE | — | 5 |
| Will Shipley | RB | — | 3 |
| Matt Pryor | OL | — | 2 |
| Cameron Latu | TE | — | 1 |
Grades normalized across numerical PFF scores and reported letter grades for comparison clarity.
🧠 Eagles Offensive Reality Check
Jordan Mailata was the best player on the field, anchoring the left side with an elite 96.1 grade. Dallas Goedert delivered a rare playoff performance, scoring both rushing and receiving touchdowns.
But excellence was isolated.
A.J. Brown posted a season-low 53.1 grade from one source and dropped two of five catchable targets. Interior line play faltered. And while the tackles dominated, the offense never delivered a knockout drive.
🧪 Final Verdict — Bend, Absorb, Advance
This was not a defensive showcase. It was a survival exercise.
Missing its stars, San Francisco avoided catastrophic failure, tightened late, and forced Philadelphia to win through consistency rather than talent.
The Eagles couldn’t.
In January football, that’s often the difference.
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