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Each week, I dive into the film of the Eagles’ upcoming opponent to get a feel for who they really are. Think of it less as a stats preview and more as an overview of what shows up repeatedly on film, and what the Eagles will be facing.
Even in a down year by their own standards, the 49ers offense remains one of the most structurally sound units in the league. Kyle Shanahan’s system ensures that, regardless of personnel turnover or injuries, defenses are constantly stressed in multiple ways. However, this version of the 49ers offense is more fragile than previous iterations, particularly if Trent Williams can’t go.
Pass Game
San Francisco’s passing game still revolves around timing, spacing, and creating easy reads for Brock Purdy through condensed formations and play-action. They run a ton of under center play-action from heavy personnel to force the defense to play base, so they can throw it!
The ball is designed to come out quickly on in-breakers, crossers, and layered concepts that stress linebackers and safeties. When Purdy can hitch and throw in rhythm, the offense hums. Purdy is an outstanding scheme fit for this offense, and he understands the system very well. They relentlessly target the middle of the field but can’t do much outside the numbers due to a lack of receiving talent. It’s the opposite of the Eagles!
There is so much backfield motion and misdirection, and the Eagles’ defense has to be extremely disciplined.
The critical pressure point is interior disruption. Purdy is comfortable sliding away from edge pressure and resetting his base, but he struggles when defenders collapse the pocket directly into his lap. However, I was surprised by how good he has become outside of structure. He isn’t just a game manager!
The top two weapons are obviously George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. Expect those two to get targeted heavily. I don’t expect Vic Fangio to do this, but if the Eagles’ defense does play base against heavy personnel this week, I would consider playing Cooper DeJean at safety and Adoree Jackson at outside cornerback. The 49ers will be happy to see DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell on the outside, as they will go after the linebackers and safeties. Having DeJean at safety in base would allow him to cover either Kittle or McCaffrey more frequently.
The 49ers guards have had issues with twist pickup and late movement, and when those interior lanes compress, Purdy can force it. When he’s under pressure, his throws lose velocity, and windows that are normally hit on time start arriving late. I could have shown multiple interceptions that look identical to this. If you can take away the middle of the field, Purdy will still try and squeeze it in. The Seahawks did an exceptional job recently of staying in nickel personnel against the 49ers’ heavy personnel and making these throwing windows extremely tight.
This offense relies on predictable depth and landmarks. If simulated pressures force Purdy to hesitate pre-snap, the spacing of routes can actually work against him. Receivers often break into areas already occupied by defenders who have dropped unexpectedly, leading to throwaways or dangerous late throws. The Eagles need to disrupt their rhythm just enough to force Purdy into holding the ball. I always have confidence in Fangio!
Run Game
The run game remains the foundation of the offense. Wide zone, split flow, duo, and pin-pull concepts are still packaged together with relentless window dressing. I would hate to be a linebacker and play against this offense. Christian McCaffrey’s patience and vision force linebackers to hesitate, which is exactly what Shanahan wants. Even modest gains keep the offense on schedule and unlock the full play-action menu. The run game hasn’t been that successful this year, but they will always run the ball a lot, as it opens up the offense.
Injuries and rotation along the offensive line have reduced their ability to consistently generate displacement on early downs. When defenders hold their ground and spill runs laterally, this run game isn’t very explosive. Shanahan will still manufacture answers, but drives become longer and require more perfect execution. Kyle Juszczyk is the chess piece. It’s fascinating to watch how Shanahan uses him. He rotates between being a lead blocker and just eye candy, causing poor run fits by linebackers. The Eagles have struggled on the edge against condensed fronts this week, and they must improve in this area. Otherwise, Shanahan will hammer outside runs over and over.
The run game is on defensive discipline errors. Cutbacks, late-developing lanes, and misdirection are designed to punish overaggressive fronts. If the Eagles’ linebackers stay patient and interior defenders anchor gaps, San Francisco is less likely to rip off chunk gains and more likely to settle into short gains. If the Eagles can win on early downs against the run (especially without using base personnel), this 49ers’ offense isn’t that scary.
Final Thoughts
This offense will never be easy to defend, but it is no longer overwhelming. Fangio’s experience matters here. If the Eagles can control early downs, collapse the pocket from the inside, and force Purdy to play outside the intended rhythm of the offense, they can keep San Francisco in check. Shanahan will land punches, that’s inevitable when you are as good as he is, but this is a matchup where disciplined, structurally sound defense can dictate the terms more than in years past. I think the Eagles have the talent to play well, especially if the 49ers are without Trent Williams.
Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here!
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