The San Francisco 49ers may enter Wild Card weekend shorthanded, and that reality is impossible for the Eagles to ignore.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Wednesday that Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) and rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle) did not practice on Wednesday.
This puts their availability for the Wild Card Matchup against the Eagles in doubt.
Williams’ absence is extremely critical as he is the foundation of this great offense.
Shanahan acknowledged Wednesday is not a scheduled rest day for his star tackle, which adds uncertainty to his status as the week progresses.
Pearsall, meanwhile, reaggravated his PCL injury late in the regular season and remains in a similar wait-and-see timetable.
“It’s dependent on the player,” Shanahan said on their ability to suit up on Sunday.
“Whether they’ve done it before. What is the history of the player and stuff like that? We shall see.”
How 49ers’ Injuries Could Shape the Eagles Matchup
From an Eagles perspective, the implications are significant.
Williams is widely regarded as the best left tackle in football.
His absence would dramatically alter San Francisco’s protection plan against Philadelphia’s ferocious pass rush.
Without him, the 49ers would be forced to reshuffle their offensive line completely.
Williams’ absence was felt majorly last week when the 49ers offense only scored three points without him against the Seahawks.
Purdy was sacked three times and Niners could not establish anything on the ground, as their running backs only averaged 3.2 yards per carry.
The Eagles will look to replicate Seattle’s defensive performance if Williams is unable to suit up.
Pearsall’s potential absence also shrinks San Francisco’s receiving depth and downfield passing game.
It also places more pressure on George Kittle, who was limited Wednesday with an ankle injury of his own.
Defensively, the 49ers could also be very thin.
They also placed linebacker Tatum Bethune (groin) on injured reserve Wednesday after he suffered a season-ending injury last week.
Eagles Attacking 49ers Weakness
If the 49ers are forced to lean on replacements, it plays directly into Philly’s strengths on both sides of the ball.
With Tatum Bethune now on injured reserve and Dee Winters still sidelined, the 49ers have little margin for error in the middle of the defense.
That opens the door for the Eagles to stress the unit with a physical rushing approach behind Saquon.
Hurts and company could also lean heavily on play-action looks designed to isolate inexperienced defenders in space.
Up front, a potential absence along the 49ers’ offensive line could also allow Philadelphia’s pass rush to dictate this game.
Amid all the 49ers injuries, the path is clear for Philly:
Win at the line of scrimmage, control the ground game and make the 49ers’ backups prove they can hold up under postseason pressure.
Eagles Could Get Major Injury Break as 49ers’ Key Starters Are in Doubt