NFC Championship Game live updates: 49ers going for eighth Super Bowl trip in Philly
To view the live updates on your mobile device click here.
GAME ESSENTIALS: 49ers (15-4) vs. Eagles (15-3) at Lincoln Financial Stadium, at noon (PT). TV: FOX. Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt (play-by-play), Greg Olson (color commentary), Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi (sideline reporting).
ODDS: Eagles -2.5. OVER/UNDER: 45.
SERIES: 49ers lead 19-14-1 (49ers lead playoff matchups 1-0). LAST MEETING: 49ers won 17-11 on Sept. 19, 2021. LAST PLAYOFF MEETING: 49ers won 14-0 on Dec. 29, 1996.
It’s conference championship Sunday for NFL fans, and for the third time in four years, the San Francisco 49ers are playing a big part in it.
The 49ers are in Philadelphia for Sunday’s noon kickoff against the NFL’s best team in the regular season, the Eagles. The Eagles and their raucous fans are set to be a formidable opponent in the title game, with a very similarly-built roster to the 49ers — but with a very different type of threat at quarterback in Jalen Hurts.
But the 49ers are no slouches themselves. Winners of 12 straight, the red and gold have found their offensive stride, still have one of the league’s top defense and may have a major mismatch in the running game, where the 49ers’ offense is the best in the NFL, but the Eagles are one of the worst at stopping the run.
But health of their running backs who key that game will be worth watching, as midseason trade acquisition Christian McCaffrey only practiced once with a calf issue and Elijah Mitchell didn’t practice at all. McCaffrey said he is good to go, but Mitchell is questionable.
For San Francisco to win, it may come down to rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who didn’t seem to impress in training camp, but has shined since stepping in for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo (who himself was stepping in for the injured initial starter Trey Lance). Purdy could become the first rookie quarterback to win three playoff games and advance to the Super Bowl if the 49ers win today.
Speaking of a possible win … if the 49ers can emerge from their NFL-record 18th conference championship with their eighth trip to the Super Bowl, they’ll either face the Cincinnati Bengals for a record-tying third time in the Super Bowl … or they’ll get their ultimate shot at revenge against the Kansas City Chiefs, who came from behind to beat them three years ago.
Ready for kickoff yet?
Follow along with our reporters Cam Inman, Jerry McDonald, Alex Simon and columnist Dieter Kurtenbach and other analysts providing their thoughts about the game.