SANTA CLARA – Brock Purdy got an encouraging pat on his shoulder pads as Sam Darnold said to him: “See ya in a couple of weeks.”
For Purdy’s sixth-seeded 49ers to stage a rematch with Darnold’s top-seeded Seahawks, wild-card survival comes first.
The 49ers’ postseason “Road Dog Tour” will open at the No. 3-seed Philadelphia Eagles, who won last year’s Super Bowl and who three years ago downed the 49ers and tore Brock Purdy’s elbow ligament in the NFC Championship Game. (Check back for updates on dates and times for the wild-card round).
Saturday night, the 49ers lost a shot at the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through Super Bowl LX by virtue of a 13-3 defeat to the Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium, where the visitors’ locker room doubled as a cigar lounge for the NFC West champs.
The 49ers (12-5) would head to Seattle for a divisional-round game if, one, they knock off the Eagles (11-6), and, two, if the No. 7-seed Green Bay Packers lose to the No. 2-seed Chicago Bears.
“We’ve got to be road dogs. That’s what this team has kind of been,” right tackle Colton McKivitz said Saturday night. “We’ve try to make it as hard as possible on ourselves. So we did exactly that We know what it would have been to have a home game throughout the playoffs and obviously finish up here at Levi’s. But we understand what’s ahead of us.”
The Eagles were vying for the No. 2 seed but stayed in the No. 3 spot Sunday once they lost 24-17 to the Josh Johnson-led Washington Commanders. The Bears’ 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions had created an opening for the Eagles to overtake them for the second seed.
Here is what you need to know about the 49ers’ playoff return after a year’s hiatus and their fourth trip in five years:
MOST RECENT MATCHUP
Dec. 3, 2023
49ers 42, Eagles 19
The 49ers scored touchdowns on six consecutive drives and overcame Dre Greenlaw’s ejection for a sideline confrontation with an Eagles staff member. The 49ers rolled on to the NFC crown as the No. 1 seed; the Eagles entered 10-1, then lost 5-of-6 before a wild-card exit at Tampa Bay.
PLAYOFF HISTORY
The 49ers lost the 2022 season’s NFC Championship Game 31-7 at Philadelphia, infamously doomed by injuries to Purdy (elbow) and backup Josh Johnson (concussion). Their only other matchup saw the 1996 49ers post their last playoff shutout: a 14-0 wild-card win at home, where Steve Young ran for a touchdown and threw for one to Jerry Rice,
HOW 49ERS GOT HERE
Christian McCaffrey’s 1,202 rushing yards, 924 receiving yards and 17-game presence carried them, while they scrambled without Purdy (eight games; toe), George Kittle (six games; hamstring, ankle), Ricky Pearsall (eight games; knee), Nick Bosa (14 games; knee), Fred Warner (11 games; ankle), and Mykel Williams (eight games; knee), not to mention Brandon Aiyuk’s season-long absence. A 3-0 start was followed by eight weeks of alternating wins and losses, until a six-game win streak got snapped Saturday night.
HOW EAGLES GOT HERE
It wasn’t smooth but the NFC East-champion Eagles are in their fifth postseason in as many years under coach Nick Sirianni. Their offense dropped off considerably after last season’s Super Bowl run, but their defense allowed the NFL’s third-fewest points entering Week 18. Cam Jurgens is their only offensive Pro Bowler while that honor went to defensive tackle Jalen Carter, linebacker Zack Baun and defensive backs Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell.
49ERS’ OFFENSE VS. EAGLES
Purdy led the 49ers on a scoring spree five straight games upon his return from turf toe, but the Seahawks walloped him Saturday night and he sustained a left-shoulder stinger on the last play. As was the case three years ago, McCaffrey should be the 49ers’ featured attraction, though ideally with a healthy quarterback. But he’ll need blockers to thwart the Eagles’ defensive front. Getting left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall back into the lineup will thoroughly boost Purdy’s supporting cast that also relies on George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Kyle Juszczyk.
49ERS’ DEFENSE VS. EAGLES
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has drawn praise for keeping afloat a patchwork unit that’s delivered late-game and/or goal-line heroics to offset their NFL-low 20 sacks and paltry six interceptions. Their run defense, down possibly three starting linebackers, is even more troubling against Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts; the 49ers allowed a season-high 180 rushing yards and missed 18 tackles against the Seahawks.
INJURY WATCH
49ers: Their offense could be close to full strength if Purdy (left shoulder), Williams (hamstring), Pearsall (knee, ankle) and Kittle (ankle) are all cleared, as expected. But their defense could be further depleted after Saturday’s injuries to linebackers Tatum Bethune (groin) and Dee Winters (ankle).
Eagles: With the division already clinched, the Eagles rested key players Sunday, but some key players still are dealing with injuries, including Carter (hip), offensive tackle Lane Johnson (foot), outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips (ankle), tight end Dallas Goedert (knee), safety Marcus Epps (concussion), cornerback Brandon Johnson (ankle) and linebackers Nakobe Dean (hamstring) and Jihaad Campbell (back, shoulder).
INTANGIBLES
The 49ers have won their past four away games and are 7-2 on the road (5-3 at home). They were 5-0 in prime-time games until Saturday night’s defeat.
2026 OPPONENTS
The 49ers’ opponents next season are finalized, with dates and times to be announced in the spring.
Home: Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks
Away: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks