PHILADELPHIA — White rally towels waved, players flapped their arms like wings and the sing-along party finally started in the stands around the time that punches landed on the field.
It was clear Sunday that the Eagles were bound for Super Bowl LVII for most of an NFC Championship game that was ugly in a multitude of ways, from the final score to the melee that broke out with four minutes remaining in garbage time at Lincoln Financial Field.
Not that football fans needed this lesson, but the Eagles’ 31-7 victory against the 49ers showed that a dual-threat quarterback beats a no-threat quarterback.
Jalen Hurts passed for 121 yards and ran for 39 yards and a touchdown in a game plan that was watered down once it became clear that the quarterback-neutered 49ers had no chance to erase a 14-point halftime deficit. After losing their top two quarterbacks to injuries during the regular season, the 49ers lost Brock Purdy to an elbow injury and Josh Johnson to a concussion in the first 33 minutes of their biggest game.
Jalen Hurts celebrates during the Eagles’ win over the 49ers on Jan. 29. AP
Haason Reddick forces a fumble while hitting Brock Purdy during the Eagles’ win over the 49ers on Jan. 29. APA severely limited Purdy was in no condition to return to the game until it became absolutely necessary, when Johnson suffered a concussion early in the third quarter. Purdy returned for the final six offensive snaps of the third quarter plus the fourth quarter but attempted only a pair of screen passes.
The NFL’s top-ranked total and scoring defense (just 16.1 points per game allowed in the regular season) had no answers for the Eagles’ rushing attack as Miles Sanders rushed for two touchdowns and Boston Scott and Hurts added one each.
It is the second trip to the Super Bowl in the last six seasons for the Eagles, who rode the hot hand of Nick Foles to a win over the Patriots in February 2018. The Eagles have won three of their last four NFC Championship game appearances, after losing three straight (2001-03), and improved to 16-1 this season (including playoffs) when Hurts starts. He missed two games late in the season with a shoulder injury.
All hell broke loose for the 49ers in the first quarter. A missed opportunity to throw a challenge flag allowed the Eagles to get away with a fourth-and-3 conversion that replays showed likely was an incomplete pass to DeVonta Smith. Two plays later, Sanders scored.
The crowd was still buzzing when the Eagles made another big play. Haason Reddick sacked Purdy, creating a fumble and knocking the undefeated rookie quarterback (7-0 including the playoffs) out of the game.
Jalen Hurts scores during the Eagles’ win over the 49ers on Jan. 29. APIt could have been an early point of no recovery, but the 49ers’ defense quieted the madness by forcing three straight punts and allowing their offense to tie the score on Christian McCaffrey’s touchdown. McCaffrey broke three tackles on his 23-yard carry — the last 49ers highlight.
The football gods favored the bold, as a decision to let Hurts try (and convert) a quarterback sneak from his own 36-yard line when the score was tied at 7-7 was the engine for the go-ahead touchdown drive.
Frustrations boiled over late in the fourth quarter when 49ers left tackle and future Hall of Famer Trent Williams lost his cool and body-slammed defensive back K’Von Wallace to the ground. Both Williams and Wallace were ejected. Players from both sidelines poured onto the field.
The 49ers didn’t help their cause by feeding into the Eagles’ final three touchdown drives with undisciplined penalties.
Miles Sanders scores during the Eagles’ win over the 49ers on Jan. 29. Getty Images
Jalen Hurts throws during the Eagles’ win over the 49ers on Jan. 29. Getty ImagesOn the Eagles’ tie-breaking 75-yard march, the 49ers committed three penalties that created automatic first downs. After a quick giveaway put a tired defense back on the field, Dre Greenlaw grabbed Scott’s facemask to erase what would’ve been a 4-yard loss and put the ball at the 10-yard line, from which Scott found the end zone.
The theme was the same after halftime. Jordan Mason was flagged for roughing the punter. Instead of regaining possession at the 32-yard line, the 49ers were back on defense, where Talanoa Hufanga shoved Hurts well after he stepped out of bounds for a personal foul on the doorstep of another touchdown.
Greenlaw later was called for a personal foul that should’ve resulted in an ejection when he delivered several punches to the side of running back Kenneth Gainwell.
