favored by two and a half points. We've talked about when
the Eagles have the ball, how about when the 49ers have
the ball and important to injury news from Wednesday? Christian
McCaffrey
star running back. Calf injury did not practice Elijah Mitchell.
Groin injury, did not practice Deebo Samuel, ankle injury,
limited practice on Wednesday.
I don't think that affects
the question whether or not these guys are going to play,
but it makes sense to watch the injury report because again,
the 49ers are only as good
as their ability to
To put their best players on the field and
the guy at the center of the storm
between Debo Samuel. Christian McCaffrey Elijah Mitchell,
George kill
Kyle. Use check who makes Cameo appearances but not very often.
I with all these other guys hard to get the ball to 44 with
all these. Other guys really Brock / d, right? Biggest road,
game of his career.
He's only had two Road games, that's amazing. In all those
starts. He's played eight started seven twice on
the road. It helps have to
Of games at home.
But they went to Seattle back in week 15 for Thursday night.
That's the closest approximation Chris
to what he's going to be facing
in Philadelphia with the season on the line and
we don't know, they don't know. No one knows, Brock party
doesn't know how he's going to respond and perform in that
environment. That's one of the great unknowns of this contest.
Yeah, it definitely is. I mean, he's yeah, he's the, it's
the one guy we're all
looking at. Yeah, Seattle, that fan that stadium. That crowd
there. It's loud. It's just Loud as any in football. So
that's a good, you know experiment the problem is or
you know a good you know
prepared experience there at least
but the problem is is
the Seahawks defense ain't going to be on the field.
That's the problem. It's going to be the Eagles and it's in
there in a whole different world than the the Seattle
Seahawks on the defensive side of the ball.
This is a great defense
and yeah, Brock party's been really good. We know that
and I'll but but this is a different test
in an environment, a creative defense
And a defense that again is not getting enough attention for
how good it's played. We're talking about the Niners is
the number one defense in football.
The Eagles are right behind it is the number two defense in
football and you know
not getting the credit for
only being the second best. You know sack team in the history
of football behind the 85 Bears. I mean I'm a stat like
that and I feel like it's amazing that it's just people
don't talk about them that much.
We don't even really talk about their pass rush.
So that's to me one of the huge parts of this football game,
Mike a little bit. And again, I don't I'm never one to just go.
Well it's about running the football right but we know
the 49ers are not a QB Centric team. It is about
running the football
and and they have to drop back and throw the ball too much in
this environment versus defense and that pass rush. I can't
imagine that that's going to be a good recipe for the 49ers. So
that's really one of the biggest key to the
game, in my opinion.
Well and
I agree. Let's hear a little bit. Yeah Kyle Shanahan on how
when they went to Seattle for week 15 for that Thursday night
game
they knew they were aware. They were planning
for
the reality that they may go to Philadelphia for the NFC
Championship here. Shannon, how they use that game to get ready
for what's coming on Sunday.
Well, do the same thing we did that week. I mean, that was
huge is because that was our first game really all year that
it was
that important and it was Brock. Had had experience with it and
so it was great to have that, especially those going to Philly.
I remember I was talking about that that week that we needed
that,
we needed that rep and case we ended up in the NFC
Championship, have Philly. And we got that and very fortunate
that we did. And I feel we're good to go, he knows what to
expect, you know, is how we do it, and
we'll give them upset at all week, but
he got it ready on? Just a Wednesday when you play Thursday. So,
Philippine issue this week,
Craig rehabs crank up, Crank It Up,
Crank It Up, the Music, make it loud, get Brock, pretty ready
to go. And I think one of the keys to this week for
the 49ers, Chris is to make sure Brock /. T doesn't think at all
about what this game means to his football career, right?
Better said than done. Yeah,
but or easier said than done is the cliche goes because look at
it, this way, if he has,
if he has, and we've seen it before, Or
in Big Steaks playoff games, I think back to Carson, Palmer,
2015, playing for the Cardinals against the Panthers. Never had
that 16 over meltdown. Right against the Panthers, the game
that vaulted Carolina to Super Bowl. We saw Jake Delhomme, and
in the divisional, round in 2008, same
two teams playing for the Panthers, he had six turnovers
and a Saturday night when the Cardinals up and at
the Panthers
to move on. If Purdy has a bad performance, multiple
Overs, bad mistakes, etcetera,
that opens the door to
somebody else, being the starter next year. Whether it's
somebody currently on the roster, is somebody not
currently on the roster? Tom Brady. So I
I just
I would I would want to do everything I could to not Brock
/ not allow Brock / T to think about yeah
the implications of this specific game on his future as
the 49ers quarterback. Yeah I hear that. You know just this
hey you guys you know hopefully you just keep the Focus on
the Eagles, right? And don't worry about your legacy or where you
stand, you know,
you gotta play and let's just worry about
this play against the Eagles defense and
get us in the right play and make sure you make the right
check. And I think he's a guy that's shown he can, he can
certainly block some of that are all that noise out and
focus now where
where I do think it's different,
you know, the last week than this week, right? Where
the Cowboys matchup
as we were texting during the game on Sunday with the Cowboys
and Niners. And I got the sense of Game as I was watching, let
alone, when I watched it back on film, that that
it was a very conservative game plan, by the 49ers. I really
came away from the game going. They played the game because
they felt like they were better than the Cowboys. And as long
as
Michael Parsons or Demarcus orange, didn't get a strip sack
fumble or something like that, they knew they could win
the game.
They can't do that this week, you can't just go. Well we're
going to be conservative against the Eagles and we'll
still win the game know. And I think if
Defense plays, great, the Eagles, still
going to scored 20, I think.
So that's where I think they're going to have to ask him to be
a little more aggressive and probably be a little more
aggressive in the pass game than we saw last week. Just
because they know there's an offense on the other side that
you know their
defense isn't it just going to shut down like they did
the Cowboys offense.
Yeah, I think that's a damn good point by his look.
We spent so much time. Focusing on what the Cowboys did wrong.
Yeah, it's a 49 at the bottom line is the Cowboys played
the 49ers tougher than I thought they would. I did the 49ers
would the dramatically better team not that they were going
to win
38 27, but the fact that it was, as close as it was
surprised me and
there is more pressure on the offense. There is this Eagles.
Defense is better suited to bottling up, Christian
McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel. Not that you can never Completely
shut them down.
But at some point, you're right.
Brock /. He's got to find Brandon, I you gotta find
George kid'll. Gotta stretch the field. A little bit. Ya
gotta keep his wits about him. When that rotation
of badasses that the Eagles have. That's right that they,
they had then this had, this is the game as the badass game
them for. You know, I think back to, I think back 25 years
ago, with that rotation did to the Vikings and how they were
able to break the game open
because it was close at first, the Vikings actually LED NG.
But the Eagles were Relentless defensively and and
that's what the 49ers need to guard against. Yeah. Yeah.
I feel like this is one of those, where,
whatever happens in this game.
We're going to say the next day. Well, that makes sense. We
should have seen that coming, whatever the outcome. However,
it goes. Yeah. Right. Could Brock party doesn't play well.
We should have seen that come against the Eagles defense.
You know, the 49ers win. What? We should have seen that coming
their team of badasses? Roll out of bed, run through a brick
wall. They do it against everybody. Even the eagles and
their Building with a
super ball on the line. I mean,
however, that this just like, it's like both games. I don't
know how
there is even if
there's even as I can remember. Yeah, it's as even as I can
remember.
As far as just picking them,
you know, again I know anything can happen and whatever else but
yeah it's
it's it's two games evenly matched and then to have their
own the afc's a little bit. Hey, we know they're both good
on the lines and all that, but it's a little bit more about
the skill players.
The NFC back to your point is about big mofos who kick ass up
front, that's where they NFC is. It's like old school and
I've
see it's like it was back in the late 80s and early 90s.
I mean, again you know, my
my barometer a little bit
that you know, fight breaks out between all 32 teams,
the Eagles and the 49ers are going to be in the final four or
five. I can promise you that
they're one of those teams. When you look at them you go
holy s***. How many big people do they have? This is
Believable that mean they do both of them so
and you know that that's going to be interesting part of it too.
And with Brock / D,
we know the 49ers their ability to run
you know is the number one thing they do. I just,
you know
I don't know like you said this is a different group. We're
talking about an all timed events, a line right now who's
got versatility. As far as big people to stop the run
and fast people to start the rush
and Mike and they got, you know, a guy
Guy in Jonathan Gannon. A defensive coordinator who
took some flak and Philadelphia rightly slow because I think he
was a little too simple last year and maybe earlier this
year, but Nim, I watch their demons. This last half of
the year. They do
like we were talking about with Luann DaRuMa,
they do everything
and I just I want to show you a few plays because I know we got
a little package ready for what we saw. You know, or what we
might see. But here there's a five-man front rid, you know,
there's this is what they can Rush five and they can play man
behind it. Let's start. Over. If you can rewind it one time
real quick. What? Right? So five man,
you go win. I don't want to run the ball against this look.
But what they want to do is, if you do pass it, they have
confidence in their Corners, to the lock, you up there, a good
man team. And then they go, wait, one of our guys is going
to win one of these one-on-one matchups.
And of course, this is why there
are second all-time as far as Saxon a season. So, there's
the five man, Rush. Five men. Look, here's another. I'm going to
show you another pipe five-man. Look. And you're going, oh
wait, but they're gonna drop out. And then
Blitz. Another guy
and they're going to be under the four-man rush and play his
own, but they understand how to attack your protection rules
and you're going to see those guys drop out, one of
the Nickelback's bullets
and they are well coached and knowing wait, this is where
this guy likes to throw the ball hot and they understand
and read their keys.
And they are very versatile,
guys. Like guys like Hassan Redick and Josh sweat, they can
drop into coverage and be a real pain in the butt to so you
don't ever know what.
H5 or coming is that these guys that guys who's in a drop and
that's where there are a handful, let alone the talent
is good too. And that's why
this matchup is awesome.
And good luck if you're a rookie quarterback. Oh, well,
that's, that's what we're saying here. You'll top. Right,
right? Making those decisions, right? Right. And, and I know
that Kyle Shanahan basically likes to
run his offense, run, his quarterback like a kid with
a controller playing Madden.
It's going to be harder to do against that. He goes defense,
gonna be hard for Kyle to do again, even if the quarterback
does everything that Kyle tells him to do it still, that's
right work. That's where he's going to have
to rely on their return. You know, screams and reverses.
And speed sweeps, a little bit to help out. Right? That's
where they're really good. So I don't know what they're going
to be. Here's a Debo screen like we saw in the NFC
championship game last year against the Rams, right? Those
were those plays
will become effective for them
and maybe then they can simplify Philadelphia a little
bit where they go. Well, we can't do all this crazy crap
because we got to be a little more sound in the right spots
here because they're, they're exposing us a little bit and
it's something to watch for. Sorry for cutting you off
there.
Get him on there. No, that's fine. Get them on their heels,
blow up their creativity. Force them to go back to meat and
Exactly getting their ass kicked their right and that
gets back to what the 49ers. Are they just kick your ass
with the simple
things and take away your ability to do the fancy stuff
act. Like you're too busy recovering from the last play
where you just got run over
by one of those guys in Gold helmets and that's what
the 49ers bring to the table. We're doing the pick spot later. I'm
gonna have a hell of a time. Picking a winner
in the NFC Championship. I've already pre picked my winner in
the AFC, because I declared that on Monday and FC tougher.
Tougher.
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