Niner Talk

Forget analysis for now, let’s talk about the game and what it means. This is a critical game for both teams. A win really puts the Eagles in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the NFC playoffs. If the Niners win, they move closer to the top seed and gain the head-to-head advantage over the Eagles. That would put pressure on Philly.

This game means more to SF. They lost the NFC title game last year in brutal fashion. As soon as Brock Purdy’s arm got hurt, the game was over. The Niners put in Josh Johnson, but he wasn’t a good QB. When he got hurt, it was just a matter of running out the clock. Imagine working your whole season to get to the playoffs and then making the NFC Championship only to lose because you don’t have a healthy QB. That is pure torture.

Niners players spent the offseason telling themselves and anyone else who would listen that they would have won if Purdy was healthy. I get where they are coming from, but he got hurt in the game. The Eagles knocked him out of there. If Purdy came down with the flu or something weird and couldn’t play because of outside circumstances, I would buy in to the “if he was healthy” angle more. When the other team knocks your guy (and his backup) out, give credit to that team. It wasn’t a fluke. They earned the right to play against one-armed QBs.

Last time that Haason Reddick went up against the San Francisco 49ers…

5 pressures
3 hurries
2 sacks
Turnover
Fumble recovery

Haason Reddick is 6th best among EDGE rushers with a pass rush win rate of 24% thisseason #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly #HaasonReddick @Haason7Reddick pic.twitter.com/1SEOI7y8vc

— MRCROCKPOT (@mrcrockpot) December 1, 2023

If SF beats the Eagles on Sunday, that will make them believe even stronger that they would have prevailed in January with a healthy QB. That will eat at them, knowing bad blocking cost them a trip to the Super Bowl. If SF loses to the Eagles, they could start to really doubt themselves.

“Do the Eagles have our number? Are they to us what we are to Dallas?”

A win for the Eagles would make them 11-1, but wouldn’t change their mentality. They wouldn’t get a sense of validation or anything like that. The Eagles won in January and don’t see that as a fluke. They believe in themselves and that Jalen Hurts guy, you know, the dude who almost never loses.

A loss for the Eagles would drop them to 10-2, but wouldn’t really change anything. Nick Sirianni is masterful at getting his team to live in the moment. They don’t get too high, they don’t get too low. That is part of the secret sauce that keeps them winning. The Eagles don’t go into berserk mode when they’re up 24-10 and they don’t panic when they’re down 17-7. They play the next play and just keep grinding.

This game means so much more to SF. It will make it that much sweeter if the Eagles are able to win and can continue to live in the heads of Niners players for the foreseeable future.

*****

Former Cardinals’ TE Zach Ertz cleared waivers today and is now free to sign with any team, per source. The Eagles, a franchise for which Ertz needs 11 catches to pass Harold Carmichael and become their all-time leading receiver, are expected to have interest in re-signing him.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 1, 2023

Should the Eagles have interest? Sure. They could use depth at TE. Dallas Goedert is the starter and key player. Jack Stoll is probably ideal as a #3. Ertz would be a good backup. He’s become an effective blocker and remains a good receiver. Ertz isn’t the playmaker he was in his prime, but he could still be good in 2-TE sets or if needed to start here or there.

I do wonder if Ertz will be tempted by Baltimore. They lost Mark Andrews and have a big hole in their passing game. If Ertz wants to play for a contender and be a key part of the passing game, Baltimore makes the most sense.

He loved being an Eagle and might prefer coming to a known commodity. He might prefer coming home.

*****

We've signed LB Ben VanSumeren to the active roster, signed DB Josiah Scott and WR Cam Sims to the Practice Squad, and released WR Greg Ward from the Practice Squad. pic.twitter.com/fh3Ykyx8II

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 30, 2023

VanSumeren has done solid work on STs. Now he’ll become a backup LB with Zach Cunningham out. He has NFL talent. We just don’t know if he is mentally ready to play defense in the NFL. That’s no insult to him, but rather an acknowledgement of how hard it is to be a LB today. RPOs and motion and things like that have made defense really challenging in the modern NFL.

The coaches must trust VanSumeren so let’s hope they’re right. And hope the starting LBs stay healthy.

*****

DeSean Jackson retired as an Eagle today.

Where it all began@DeSeanJackson10 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/PssxZ9hwQP

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 1, 2023

The fastest Eagles of them all.

NBA legend Dominique Wilkins was nicknamed the Human Highlight Film. Watching DeSean as an Eagle, that felt like the nickname he should have had. His speed was electric and he was a big time playmaker. His highlight moments are stuck in our heads forever.

DeSean could drive me crazy at times. He treated the middle of the field like I do the produce isle at the grocery store. That’s a place you just don’t go. I prefer tough, physical receivers so watching an undersized speed demon wasn’t my preference. But DeSean was so special you couldn’t help but love watching him make plays.

_