One NFL writer thinks the Philadelphia Eagles will barely beat the San Francisco 49ers.
The Philadelphia Eagles begin their Super Bowl defense against the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round.
The Eagles are the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs, so they will host the 49ers, who are the sixth seed.
Will Philadelphia beat San Francisco or lose at home? NFL writer Kris Knox of Bleacher Report thinks the Eagles will narrowly win by a final score of 32-30.
"Roughly a week ago, I would have been quick to back the San Francisco 49ers in this postseason matchup," Knox wrote. "However, that was before they got physically pushed around by the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18 and before the Philadelphia Eagles decided to rest their starters.
"I worry about the physical toll Saturday's game took on a team that has already lost so many key players to injury in 2025. San Francisco's defense has had its fair share of issues down the stretch, which could be a massive problem against a fully healthy Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley.
"However, there's a chance Kyle Shanahan gets his offense rolling enough to steal a victory in Philly on Wild Card Weekend. While Seattle was able to hold San Francisco to a mere three points on Saturday, the 49ers' offense has been flying high since its Week 14 bye.
"If the time off causes Philly's offense to come out flat, I could see the 49ers running away with this one. Ultimately, though, I think San Francisco simply runs out of gas just in time for the Eagles to win on a walk-off score."
The Eagles went 11-6 in the regular season. They were 19th in the NFL in points per game and fifth in points per game allowed.
Meanwhile, the 49ers went 12-5. They were 10th in the league in points per game and 13th in points per game allowed.
For the Eagles to beat the 49ers, Jalen Hurts and the offense have to play well. As everyone knows, Philadelphia's offense was below-average under first-year OC Kevin Patullo. The Eagles were 23rd in passing yards and 18th in rushing yards.
Hurts finished the 2025 season with 3,224 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 421 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. Let's see how the reigning Super Bowl MVP performs against a talented 49ers defense.