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The Philadelphia Eagles are back in the NFC Championship Game for the second time in five years. In 2018, the squad defeated the Minnesota Vikings and went on to beat the New England Patriots to secure the franchise’s first-ever Lombardi Trophy. Their opponent next week? It’s not the Dallas Cowboys.
Their most hated NFC East rival was dispatched by San Francisco in the NFC Divisional Round on Sunday night. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 214 yards, with stud tight end George Kittle hauling in 5 catches for 95 yards. Christian McCaffrey tallied their lone touchdown in the 19-12 victory over Dallas.
Bring on the 49ers or “See you Sunday” as the Eagles succinctly wrote on Twitter. The Eagles and 49ers have met 35 times in NFL history, including a 14-0 win by San Francisco back in 1996 which was the only postseason battle between the two proud franchises. These Eagles are obviously expecting a better outcome.
San Francisco finished the regular season with the top-ranked defense in the NFL. The 49ers ranked No. 1 in yards per game (300.6) and points per game (16.3). Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is a leading candidate to grab a head-coaching job in 2023. The former Eagles linebacker has so many interview requests that he’s had to cancel on a few interested teams.
The 49ers ranked No. 5 in total offense at 365.6 yards per game and No. 6 in points per game (26.5). They have caught lightning in a bottle with Purdy, their third quarterback this season after they lost starter Trey Lance and backup Jimmy Garoppolo to injuries. Purdy has thrown for 1,374 yards and 13 touchdowns in six starts.
There had been brief speculation about Garoppolo returning for the playoffs after 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted there was an “outside chance.” That probably won’t be the case with Purdy and the offense rolling.
NFC Championship Tickets on Sale Tuesday
The Eagles announced that single-game tickets for the NFC Championship Game will go on sale on Tuesday, January 24 via Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. There is a four-ticket limit per household and all tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, January 29.
Philadelphia holds a 5-2 all-time record in NFC Championship Games since the merger in 1970. They earned a 38-7 victory over Minnesota in the last one played at the Linc.
Nick Sirianni Focused on ‘Climbing This Mountain’
Nick Sirianni admitted the post-game locker room was “lit” on Saturday night. He took time to savor and enjoy the moment, wearing the Dream Chasers chain and hamming it up for his players. He wasn’t going to apologize for soaking everything in after his first playoff victory as a head football coach.
“It was lit in there,” Sirianni said. “It was fun in there.”
The relaxed atmosphere was for one night only, though. Sirianni said the coaching staff was due back in the office to look at tape on Sunday, although they had permission to “sleep in a little bit.” On to the next one. The opponent didn’t matter to Sirianni.
“The only next goal is whoever we play next and wanting to win that game and then go from there,” Sirianni said. “So, our focus won’t change. Our focus is, hey, we’re climbing this mountain. We’re close. We’re close to the top. Don’t look at the top yet though. Look at the steps that you have to make this week. That’s been the message the entire year. Our guys, they say the same thing. Rent is due today.”
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