The highly-anticipated NFC wild card showdown between the No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles and the No. 6 San Francisco 49ers is a clash of conference titans that promises immediate, high-octane playoff football. The Eagles and the 49ers represent the last two NFC teams to have appeared in the Super Bowl, and one of them will jumpstart their playoff run at Lincoln Financial Field.
This wild card contest features a fascinating coaching duel between two of the NFC's top strategists, Kyle Shanahan and Nick Sirianni. The matchup showcases two of the best running backs in football, Saquon Barkley against Christian McCaffrey. Overall, we will see Philadelphia's punishing ground game led by Jalen Hurts and a defense designed to force turnovers against San Francisco's balanced, versatile attack orchestrated by Brock Purdy and a defense built on elite pass rush pressure.
For either the Eagles or the 49ers, a win is simply a step toward validating their status as a Super Bowl contender.
Here's more on who the Eagles or 49ers will play next.
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Who will the Eagles or 49ers play next?
The Eagles (No. 3) or 49ers (No. 6) next opponent in the divisional round is entirely dependent on the results of the two Saturday NFC wild card games.
If the 49ers win and the Bears win on Saturday, San Francisco will the lowest remaining seed and travel to face the No. 1 Seattle Seahawks. But if the Packers upset the Bears on Saturday night, Green Bay would be the lowest seed traveling to Seattle, and the 49ers would instead travel to face the No. 4 Carolina Panthers or No. 5 Los Angeles Rams.
If the Eagles win, their divisional round path is primarily determined by the result of the Packers-Bears game. If the Bears win, the Eagles will travel to Soldier Field to face the Chicago next weekend. If the Packers pull off the upset, they will travel to Seattle, and the Eagles would then secure a home game against the winner of the Rams-Panthers game.
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