PHILADELPHIA — – Brock Purdy threw a go-ahead 6-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey late in the fourth quarter, San Francisco used a trick play on a TD toss from wide receiver Jauan Jennings, and the 49ers eliminated the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles with a 23-19 wild-card victory Sunday.
The 49ers head to top-seeded Seattle next weekend for an NFC divisional playoff game. The NFC West rivals split the season series.
“Our team fights,” McCaffrey told Fox after the game. “We take each day at a time and go as hard as we can every single time.
“I love this group so much. I don’t have enough good things to say about it. Proud to be a part of this team.”
Purdy threw for 262 yards and got the road win at Lincoln Financial Field he failed to get three seasons ago when he was injured in a dismal outing in a loss in the NFC title game.
Purdy had two passes intercepted by All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, but the Eagles scored just three points off the turnovers.
The 49ers will head to Seattle without star tight end George Kittle, who tore his right Achilles tendon late in the first half, per coach Kyle Shanahan.
The Eagles — who won a Super Bowl on a trick play — were foiled by one when Jennings was pitched the ball and rolled right to hit McCaffery on a 29-yard touchdown pass. The score on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the 49ers a 17-16 lead.
The Eagles would only get Jake Elliott‘s 33-yard field goal in the quarter for a brief 19-17 lead.
Philadelphia was again doomed by a lethargic offensive effort that cost it a shot at a repeat championship. Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts threw for only 168 yards and a touchdown and the Eagles failed to build off a 13-10 halftime lead by totaling only 36 total yards in the third quarter on 16 plays.
Hurts was incomplete on a last-gasp fourth-and-11 attempt with 43 seconds left that ended the Eagles’ final drive.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
