Eagles vs. 49ers Wildcard Preview: Can Birds Defense Dominate Enough to Mask Offensive Inefficiencies?
Although the Eagles offense has been frustratingly stagnant at times, Philadelphia still has the makings of a championship team on the defensive side, and their offense has shown (albeit inconsistently) the ability to play with Super Bowl-level efficiency as evidenced by their league-leading red zone conversion rate and out-ranking the 49ers by 19 spots in one of the most critical and time-tested statistics the NFL has to offer…
The story of the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles was undoubtedly their offensive shortcomings despite a team that houses objectively one of the top-10 running backs, receivers, and quarterbacks in the NFL.
Although, Philly’s defense has been so dominant that the team has overcome those offensive woes in the vast majority of their games, even to the point where the Eagles could only score 13 points and still win the game:
#Eagles D against the Bills:
🦅 Held Buffalo to fewest points scored all season (12)
🦅 Had the 2nd-most single-game Josh Allen sacks this year (5)https://t.co/BSBg8Vu8Bu
— Vote The Process (@VoteTheProcess) December 29, 2025
Against the 49ers on Sunday at 4:30, the Eagles will need every bit of that effort if their offense continues to be as inefficient and inexplosive as it was during the regular season.
So far in 2025 we’ve seen Philadelphia’s running game regress massively, very few long touchdowns, and Jalen Hurts and the entire passing game appears to have taken a step back of their own, albeit likely tied to the Eagles’ lack of rushing success.
In 2025, the Eagles offense ranked outside of the top-10 teams in scoring, plays from scrimmage (7th-fewest), pass plays for over 20 yards (8th-fewest), and rushing plays for over 20 yards (12th-fewest).
Philly’s regular-season stats on the defensive side are a different story.
This season, the Eagles defense allowed:
- Fewest passing TDs (14)
- 6th-fewest passing yards
- 5th-fewest points
- 7th-fewest yards per play
They also finished the season 5th in solo tackles and 13th in sacks (42), posting over twice as many sacks as the 49ers defense which only sacked quarterbacks 20 times all year, which ranks dead last in the NFL.
The Eagles have elite playmakers at every level of the field as they’ve paired one of the best pass rushes with one of the most smothering defensive backfields, while their linebackers fly sideline to sideline with ease to get TFLs and sacks galore.
Quinyon Mitchell has quietly developed into one of the best shutdown corners in the NFL, Cooper DeJean has transformed into possibly the best nickel corner in the league, and Jalyx Hunt has been the explosive defensive playmaking glue that has capitalized on the opportunities the aforementioned corners in addition to Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis (both top-10 in batted passes) and the D-line have helped create.
In the regular season, Hunt led all NFL outside linebackers and all Philadelphia Eagles in interceptions, and he also ranked tied for 6th among all positions in total QB hits.
Meanwhile Mitchell and DeJean both ranked among inside the top-10 in passes defended. Zach Baun has been no slouch either, as he was named to the Pro Bowl amidst two INTs and defensive TD of his own while surrendering the third-fewest yards per target (4.2) and per completion (6.5, per Pro Football Reference).
Key matchup stats (leader listed first & colored)
- PPG
- 49ers (11th) – Eagles (14th)
- PPG allowed
- Eagles (3rd) – 49ers (10th)
- Point differential
- 49ers (9th) – Eagles (10th)
- Turnover differential
- Eagles (7th) – 49ers (26th)
- 3rd down conversion %
- 49ers (1st) – Eagles (24th)
- Red zone conversion %
- Eagles (1st) – 49ers (6th)
While the Eagles face a tough test to say the least against the 49ers in the Wildcard round, they’ve shown they are capable of beating elite teams in tough spots with both sides of their ball (although both sides have yet to do it at the same time).
Earlier in the season, when they needed to, they threw the ball to their outside receivers to beat the Rams, who many acknowledge is one of the best teams in the NFL this season with one of the best quarterbacks in MVP candidate Matthew Stafford.
They also held the Bills, a team most admit is one of the best offenses in the league, to just 12 points a few weeks ago.
If the Eagles do hope to come out of this game victorious, that victory will rest on the shoulders of their defense and (much to the chagrin of Philly fans) the Eagles being careful with the football.
There’s a reason the Birds allowed the third-fewest PPG while out-ranking the 49ers by 19 spots in turnover differential: When both sides of the ball play together and mistake free, the Eagles are still an elite, tough team to beat.
