5 matchups that will decide the game of the year

As a young player with the Buffalo Bills in the early 1990s, I heard Marv Levy routinely share the Super Bowl blueprint with the team. The future Hall of Famer discussed the importance of winning the division to secure a guaranteed spot in the playoff tournament. He also pointed out that legitimate contenders possess the personnel and versatility to knock out the conference heavyweights along the way.

Considering the Bills were coming off an unprecedented run with four straight Super Bowl appearances and five consecutive division titles, Levy’s wisdom has always resonated with me when surveying the landscape of potential contenders.

Fast-forward to 2023 and Levy’s words ring in my ears as I look at how the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers have engaged in an arms race to build the NFC’s premier teams. General managers Howie Roseman and John Lynch have carefully navigated the chessboard with a series of moves to keep them one step ahead of the competition.

With a blockbuster game featuring NFC heavyweights squaring off on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), it is the perfect time to break down this matchup from a scout’s perspective. Here are five matchups that will decide the outcome in the battle for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

49ers defensive line vs. Eagles offensive line 

The addition of Chase Young and Randy Gregory to a unit featuring 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave transformed the 49ers defensive line into a terrorizing unit that is nearly impossible to block. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has unleashed his enhanced personnel with five-man fronts and creative games to harass quarterbacks within the pocket.

The persistent pressure quickens the clock for opposing quarterbacks, leading to mistakes and miscues that result in turnovers and splash plays.

The Eagles offensive line is the foundation of an elite offense that relies on a smash-mouth running game and a creative aerial attack to light up scoreboards around the league. The athletic quintet (Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens, Jason Kelce, Landon Dickerson and Jordan Mailata) features a mix of physical and finesse specialists with the size, speed and strength to move defenders off the ball on various gap-scheme and zone-based runs with pass options packaged within the concept. 

The combination of misdirection and deception overshadows the brutal punishment doled out by a unit many view as the best offensive line in football.

EDGE: 49ers

CMC vs. Eagles linebackers 

As an elite runner and receiver with explosive playmaking ability, Christian McCaffrey is the ultimate offensive weapon in the backfield. The veteran is a rare running back with the capacity to run inside and outside while also running routes from any position on the perimeter. The two-time All-Pro creates and exploits mismatches in space, and the 49ers excel at putting him in favorable positions on the field.

Whether McCaffrey is running between the tackles from a “dot” alignment in the I-formation or whipping defenders on one-on-one routes in space, the 49ers’ RB1/WR2 is a nightmare to defend for 60 minutes.

The Eagles have the scheme in place to neutralize CMC, but with Zach Cunningham expected to be out with a hamstring injury, the jury is out on whether Nicholas Morrow can contain the shifty playmaker. Despite his instincts, awareness and superb football IQ, Morrow will have his hands full in attempting to slow down McCaffrey in space.

With Kyle Shanahan known to repeat plays to expose a defense’s vulnerabilities, McCaffrey could touch the ball early and often as the 49ers attempt to light up the scoreboard against the NFL’s top team.

EDGE: 49ers

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith vs. 49ers secondary 

The Eagles passing game revolves around their exceptional playmakers on the perimeter. Brown and Smith are outstanding route runners with the speed, quickness and ball skills to dominate their one-on-one matchups in space. Moreover, each is a big-play specialist with a knack for producing explosive plays on vertical throws or catch-and-run concepts designed to get the ball on the move.

Jalen Hurts will give Brown and Smith plenty of chances to make plays on various RPOs (run-pass options) or 50-50 balls down the field. Considering the duo has combined for 78 first downs and 28 explosive plays (receptions of 20-plus yards), the Eagles’ aerial attack has a big-play element that keeps defensive coordinators up at night.

The 49ers will counter Philadelphia’s perimeter weapons with a savvy defensive backfield lacking All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga, who’s out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. The unit will rely on Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir to hold up in one-on-one battles, with Tashaun Gipson or Ji’Ayir Brown providing occasional help as deep-half players. Though the Eagles’ potent rushing attack could force the safeties to play closer to the line of scrimmage, the 49ers must weigh the pros and cons of leaving their corners on islands against two of the league’s most dynamic pass-catchers.

EDGE: Eagles

Jalen Hurts vs. Brock Purdy 

Fans of underdogs will tune in to watch a pair of overachievers battle in a marquee matchup. Hurts and Purdy have overcome long odds to captain their respective teams as QB1s.

Purdy, in particular, has developed into an elite player after entering the league as “Mr. Irrelevant,” the last player picked in the 2022 draft. The second-year pro sports a 13-3 record with a 69.1% completion rate and a 32-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 16 career starts. He has a 110.5 passer rating as a starter, including a 112.3 rating in 2023.

As a rhythm QB with excellent timing and anticipation, Purdy is a dart thrower with a knack for dropping dimes on intermediate and deep throws following play fakes. Though Shanahan sets the table for him with creative designs that leave pass-catchers wide open over the middle, Purdy has punished opponents for overplaying the team’s vaunted rushing attack.

Hurts is an MVP-caliber playmaker with the arm talent and athleticism to produce explosive plays as a runner or thrower. The fourth-year pro has accounted for 29 total touchdowns (18 passes, 11 rushes) while tormenting opponents with his explosive skills as a runner-passer out of the backfield. As a runner, the 6-foot-1, 223-pounder is a bull in a china shop with a nose for the goal line that shows up in the “tush push” executed by the Eagles in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

While Hurts’ passing has been streaky this season, he has come through with big-time throws in the clutch.

EDGE: Eagles

Kyle Shanahan vs. Nick Sirianni 

The coaching battle between these two ultra-confident leaders will feature plenty of head nods and smug looks on the sidelines. Shanahan and Sirianni draw their opponents’ ire with their theatrics, but it is hard to dispute how well their teams respond to their unwavering confidence.

As an offensive wizard with a creative playbook that tests the discipline of defenders, Shanahan will keep pressure on opponents with his misdirection, deception and constant movement. In addition, the crafty playcaller will punish opponents with a hard-hitting running game that tests the courage and will of defenders tasked with tackling a stable of running backs with explosive strength and power.

Though questions persist about Shanahan’s ability to overcome fourth-quarter deficits — he’s 0-36 with the 49ers when they have trailed by at least eight points in the final quarter — it is hard to ignore his brilliance as an elite playcaller and team builder.

Sirianni is an enthusiastic CEO with an excellent feel for his team. He knows how to push the right buttons, and the Eagles’ 10-1 record is a testament to his superb game strategies and player-management skills. Despite dealing with the Super Bowl hangover that routinely impacts the runner-up in the league’s title game, the Eagles have navigated a demanding schedule without playing their best football.

The guts and grit displayed by a team that has won eight one-score games this season suggests the Eagles head coach is at his best in close contests. With big games routinely decided by a savvy decision made by the head coach, the Eagles’ sparkling record reflects the confidence of a young coach who knows how to win.

EDGE: Eagles

Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and as a cohost of the “Moving the Sticks” podcast. Follow him on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.

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