PHILADELPHIA − Officially, the Eagles’ Super Bowl celebration began at 6:07 p.m. Eastern, when the final seconds melted off the clock and the players rushed out into the middle of the field in jubilation while the fans at Lincoln Financial Field jumped up and down amid green fireworks and confetti.
But really, the celebration began much earlier, after the Eagles’ defense swarmed all over quarterback Brock Purdy, then Josh Johnson, sending both out of the game with injuries. Purdy, on an injured shoulder had to come back in after Johnson left with a concussion.
Purdy couldn’t throw, and the 49ers had no chance as the Eagles cruised to a 31-7 win Sunday.
They just had to wait through a physical game that saw a fight break out with 4:13 left.
That only delayed the inevitable as the Eagles had set the physical tone much earlier.
The Eagles (16-3) will play in the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona for the first time since winning the only Super Bowl in team history five years ago. They’ll next play on Feb. 12 against the winner of the AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals later Sunday night.
Early on, it wasn’t nearly as easy as the final score indicated, even with the 49ers down to their fourth QB of the season in Johnson, a 36-year-old journeyman on his 14th NFL team over 15 seasons.
The Eagles scored on the opening drive, after DeVonta Smith’s acrobatic catch on fourth down gave the Eagles a first down at the 49ers’ 6 yard line.
Then on the 49ers first series, Purdy was injured as he was hit on a strip-sack by Eagles’ pass rusher Haason Reddick. The Eagles recovered the ball as Purdy left the game. That sent Eagles’ fans at Lincoln Financial Field into a frenzy.
But that quickly turned into nervous energy as the Eagles sputtered on offense as the 49ers defense tightened up, and Christian McCaffrey’s 23-yard TD run in the second quarter tied the game.
Then the Eagles took over, scoring twice in the last 1:36 of the half to take a 21-7 lead, just 30 minutes away from the Super Bowl.
Miles Sanders started it with a 13-yard TD run. Then Johnson fumbled the snap after the ensuing kickoff, and the Eagles recovered at San Francisco’s 30. Boston Scott scored on a 10-yard touchdown run with 16 seconds left in the half.
But it was tough sledding for the Eagles against the NFL’s top-ranked defense. From the start of the second drive until the final two drives, the Eagles had just 5 yards of total offense and one first down.
Hurts and Sanders had little running room. Hurts had minus-1 yards on 4 carries on the first half. And the 49ers had good coverage on A.J. Brown and Smith, although Hurts did overthrow an open Brown on one play that could’ve gone for a TD.
And when Hurts completed passes over the middle, the 49ers tackled right away.
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But the two-touchdown deficit was too much to overcome without a quarterback who could throw the ball. Purdy attempted only two short passes well into the fourth quarter after he replaced Johnson, who left with a concussion early in the third quarter.
Then the Eagles put the game away, keeping possession after the 49ers were called for roughing the kicker on Brett Kern’s punt from midfield midway through the third quarter.
Hurts, bottled up all game, had his longest run to that point for 12 yards, although he appeared to take a hard hit on his shoulder, which was injured Dec. 18. Hurts winced, and maybe to prove a point, ran the ball on the next two plays. The second was for 14 yards to the 49ers’ 7, with 4 yards tacked on for a late hit on Hurts out of bounds.
Hurts eventually snuck in from the 1 for a 28-7 lead with 43 seconds left in the third quarter.
But it was a tough game for the offense as well. Hurts was 15 of 25 for 121 yards passing. He added 39 yards rushing on 11 carries. Kenny Gainwell led the Eagles with 48 yards rushing.
That was more than enough to bury the 49ers, who had just 164 yards of total offense.
It was just a matter of time from them before the Eagles could start celebrating for real.
Eagles knock out Brock Purdy, and then his backup
Purdy had completed his first two passes, but the 49ers faced a 3rd-and-6 from the 50. Purdy dropped back to pass and Reddick hit him as he threw. The ball fluttered into the air and fell incomplete as T.J. Edwards dove trying to intercept it.
But the Eagles challenged the ruling, saying Reddick hit Purdy’s arm before it went forward. The replay review confirmed the Eagles’ challenge and the Eagles took over.
Purdy left the game with an elbow injury, and didn’t return in the first half.
He most likely would’ve sat out the second half, but Johnson left on the first possession of the third quarter. Johnson threw incomplete on 2nd-and-14, but was hit as he threw the ball. The referee noticed that Johnson was slow getting up and called for the trainer to take him off the field.
Johnson was taken to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion. Purdy came back in, but it was clear that he couldn’t throw as he kept handing off, even on 3rd-and-14. Johnson was later ruled out with the concussion.
The only other QB on the 49ers’ roster is Jimmy Garoppolo, who’s out indefinitely with a foot injury suffered nearly 2 months ago.
Jalen Hurts’ experience in big games
There is so much riding on Hurts’ shoulders, especially his right one that Eagles coach Nick Sirianni admitted is still getting treatment. Getting to the Super Bowl in his second full season as a starter, and just one year away from being eligible for a contract extension, will no doubt cement his status as an Eagles icon.
Yet just like Purdy, this is Hurts’ first NFC Championship game. It’s the same for many Eagles. Only seven players on the current 53-man roster remain from their last conference title game five years ago. Of the Eagles’ skill position players, only A.J. Brown has played in a conference championship game, as a rookie with the Tennessee Titans in 2019.
That doesn’t mean the Eagles’ young players haven’t played in big games.
Hurts, for example, was in the college football playoffs, or the football version of the final four, all four of his seasons. He was teammates with wide receiver DeVonta Smith and left guard Landon Dickerson for two of those seasons at Alabama. Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean were on the 2021 Georgia team that won the national championship.
Sirianni said that counts for something.
“Big time,” Sirianni said. “Playing in big games, that’s why you want guys like that from those types of programs. They’ve played in the biggest spotlight in college for the biggest prize … That’s super helpful because it’s not that you treat it any different, but you’ve been in that scenario before.”
What a catch by DeVonta Smith
The Eagles got on the board first, taking the opening kickoff and driving down the field. But it was Smith who saved the Eagles with an acrobatic catch that set up Miles Sanders’ 6-yard run.
The Eagles faced a 3rd-and-10 from the 49ers’ 42 when Hurts a short pass to Dallas Goedert for 7 yards, setting up 4th-and-3.
The Eagles passed on a 53-yard field goal attempt. Instead, Hurts dropped back, moved to his left and threw a high-arching pass down the left sideline. It appeared too far for Smith, who turned and reached up with his left hand, somehow hauling in the pass at the 6-yard line for a first down.
Sanders scored on the next play.
Eagles’ DBs healthy for 1st time in months
The Eagles are getting a key component of their secondary back as nickel corner Avonte Maddox returns after missing the previous three games with a toe injury.
It’ll mark the first time both Maddox and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson have been in the lineup together since Nov. 3 against Houston. Maddox left that game with a hamstring injury and went on injured reserve, returning Dec. 11. By then, Gardner-Johnson was out with a lacerated kidney.
Gardner-Johnson returned Jan. 1, but Maddox was out with his toe injury.
The Eagles’ inactives were QB Ian Book, CB Josiah Scott, RB Trey Sermon, S Anthony Harris, LB Kyron Johnson and G Josh Sills. The Eagles had given Harris the practice-squad elevation.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
