Philadelphia Eagles Headed to Super Bowl LVII

The Philadelphia Eagles clinched a berth to Super Bowl LVII, crushing the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Championship game Sunday.

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The 49ers’ quarterback depth was pushed to its absolute limit, as third-string phenom Brock Purdy left with an injury in the first quarter. Purdy would return before the end of the game with limited passing ability.

It’s the end of the line for a promising 49ers squad that finished 13-4 and won the NFC West title.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for only 121 yards on 15 completions, relying on his ground forces to power the offense. Running back Miles Sanders rushed for two touchdowns in the first half to give the Eagles a lead they would never hand back. Running back Boston Scott and Hurts added rushing touchdowns of their own to put the game far out of reach.

Philadelphia’s Flying Start

An acrobatic leaping grab from wide receiver Devonta Smith set up the Eagles’ first score of the game.

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Hurts handed the ball off to Sanders. The running back broke through for his first touchdown of the game with 9:48 in the opening quarter.

49ers’ Quarterback Woes

Purdy, the former Mr. Irrelevant and backup to the injured Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, sustained an arm injury in the middle of the first quarter while trying to complete a pass. Longtime NFL veteran Josh Johnson took over for the rest of the half. Johnson completed seven of 13 passes for 74 yards.

Johnson was removed from the game early in the third quarter to be evaluated for a concussion. Running back Christian McCaffrey served as San Francisco’s emergency signal caller.

Josh Johnson left the game after going down on the previous play. Christian McCaffrey is the emergency QB, and switched his helmet out so he could have one that is capable of hearing play calls.

Brock Purdy ended up returning for one play at QB: A handoff to the RB. pic.twitter.com/K5OL5RlLfo

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 29, 2023

Eagles Pour It On in Q2

After McCaffrey tied the score with a mid-second quarter touchdown, the Eagles found their groove. With about 90 seconds to go in the half, Sanders ran 13 yards for his second touchdown. That score put Philadelphia up 14-7.

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The Eagles regained possession following a fumble from Johnson and capitalized on the turnover. Hurts’ offense squeezed in one more score, with Scott motoring 10 yards to the house to give Philadelphia a commanding 21-7 advantage.

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Eagles Coast to Victory

Philadelphia ate nearly eight minutes off the clock to end the third quarter, compiling a 15-play 91-yard drive culminating in a one-yard touchdown run from Hurts. The Eagles added a 31-yard field goal from Jake Elliot in the fourth quarter to put the finishing touches on their NFC title.

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Super Bowl LVII

The Eagles will play in the Super Bowl for the first time since knocking off Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. They will face the AFC champion, Kansas City Chiefs, who will play in their third Super Bowl in four years. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

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