The San Francisco 49ers went into Philadelphia and simultaneously put the Eagles out of their misery while shoving their faces further into it. Philly may have won the Super Bowl last year, but the 49ers made the statement that they're more fit for the job this time around. They outscored the home team 13-3 in the fourth quarter to advance to the divisional round of the playoffs.
SF's victory locks the NFC Playoff bracket into place with both matchups set. The Chicago Bears will take on the Los Angeles Rams. As for the 49ers? The No. 6 seed gets to rematch the No. 1 seed Seattle Seahawks.
How NFL playoffs reseeding changed the 49ers matchup
The outcome of the game between the 49ers and Eagles mattered significantly for the playoff bracket, not just in who advanced, but in determining the next matchups. That's because the NFL reseeds after the Wild Card round. In a normal bracket, the 49ers would have moved on to take on the No. 2 seed Bears. However, San Francisco is now the remaining lowest seed in the NFC, forcing them into a game against the highest seed. I.e. the Seahawks.
If the Eagles had won the game, they would have gone up against the Bears while the No. 5 seed Rams would have headed to Seattle.
49ers playoff schedule: San Francisco's path to the NFC title game
With the Eagles out of the way, the 49ers get a week to prepare for their rematch with the Seahawks. However, we don't know exactly when that battle will be waged. The NFL has not released the Divisional Round schedule yet. We only know SF and SEA will play on either Saturday or Sunday.
Potential TV slots for 49ers vs. Seahawks
- Saturday, Dec. 17 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN
- Saturday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS
- Sunday, Dec. 18 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC
- Sunday, Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX
If the 49ers win their Divisional Round matchup, they'll be on to the NFC title game. They definitely won't be hosting it, though. As the lowest seed remaining, San Francisco will have to travel to play either in Chicago or Los Angeles.
49ers vs. Seahawks recent history
The Seahawks beat the 49ers in their last meeting, 13-3. The No. 1 seed in the NFC was on the line and Seattle emerged from the touchdown-less game with a win. While SF's defense made life hard for Sam Darnold and company, the offense left a lot to be desired. Brock Purdy would have better days, going 19-of-27 for 127 and an interception. Christian McCaffrey had just 23 yards on the ground.
That wasn't their only meeting of the season though. The Seahawks got the last laugh but the 49ers got the first one. They beat their division rivals in Seattle, 17-13. The Niners forced two fumbles and held Darnold without a score while Purdy tossed two touchdowns — the winning one to the unlikeliest of targets in Jake Tonges.
Game 3 is for all the marbles.
Full NFL playoff schedule
Sunday night's game between the Chargers and Patriots as well as Monday's tilt between the Steelers and Texans will lock in the AFC Playoff bracket. The outcomes of those games will only matter to the team who makes the Super Bowl from the 49ers' side of the bracket.
Beyond that, we've still got a few weeks of NFL playoff action to enjoy.
NFL Playoff Round | Dates |
|---|---|
Wild Card Round | Sat. Jan. 10, Sun. Jan. 11, or Mon. Jan. 12 |
Divisional Round | Sat. Jan. 17 or Sun. Jan. 18 |
Conference Championships | Sunday, Jan. 25 |
Super Bowl LX | Sunday, Feb. 8 |