NFC Championship Game: San Francisco 49ers 7-31 Philadelphia Eagles – as it happened (2024)

For a complete summary of how the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, please feel free to peruse the Guardian’s game report:

Final thoughts

Well, we were all expecting a closer game, but the 49ers had ridiculously poor injury luck with their quarterbacks and far too many costly penalties, so we ended up with a rout instead. That happens sometimes.

So now the 49ers’ remarkable season has come to an end and the Eagles are heading to the Super Bowl. That will do it for our live coverage of the NFC Championship Game, be sure to switch over to David Lengel’s live coverage of the AFC Championship Game to find out who the Eagles will be facing in the Super Bowl. Thanks for reading and thanks especially for those who contributed along the way. Ciao!

And it all ends with a loud “Fly Eagles Fly” sing-a-long. This is the most Philadelphia Sports thing to happen, at least for the next two weeks.

Jalen Hurts is up to talk. “Let’s take a moment to show love to these fans,” he says. He then immediately adds, “It’s a special city.”

That is the correct way to do things in Philadelphia Jalen.

We immediately go to the trophy presentation. That was quick, I’m used to championship games where it takes 10 minutes or so to get the whole setup together.

The conference championship games don’t quite get the same level of attention.

The Eagles are Super Bowl bound!

The Philadelphia Eagles are heading to Super Bowl LVII where they will face the winners of the upcoming AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs (which the Guardian’s David Lengel will be liveblogging over here).

49ers 7-31 Eagles, FINAL

Gainwell gets the ball and takes the ball six yards. Gardner Minshew is now in the game which is basically an opportunity for the Eagles crowd to give their love to Hurts. Minshew kneels out the remainder of the time and that will do it. The Philadelphia Eagles have won the NFC Championship Game!

I am awake, it just took me quite a bit of time to figure out what exactly happened during the on-field fight. Combat sports are not my area of expertise.

49ers 7-31 Eagles, 2:00, 4th quarter

After all that, Samuel fumbles on 4^th and 3. The Eagles recover. Boston Scott gets the ball for the next few possessions, not that it matters much.

Oh yeah and Trent Williams was also rejected on the previous play for doing this:

49ers 7-31 Eagles, 4:13, 4th quarter

Purdy is back out there at quarterback for the next play. He throws to Kittle for a yard. 2nd and 10, McCaffrey runs for five yards but the big action happens after the play as the two teams get into a tussle on the field. There are offsetting penalties and the Eagles’ K’von Wallace gets ejected.

49ers 7-31 Eagles, 4:58, 4th quarter

Samuel is out to receive the kickoff and keeps it alive for a good while before getting taken out at the SF 31. McCaffrey is forced to throw one deep on the next play and it is, as one would expect, incomplete.

Email from Justin Kavanagh:

At least Greenlaw has paid his respects to Rocky Balboa while in Philly. It’s more than most of the 49s have left on the field tonight.

Couldn’t get out of Philadelphia without at least one “Rocky” reference.

49ers 7-31 Eagles, 5:17, 4th quarter

Gainwell gets pushed back for three yards on the gifted first down. On 2nd and 13, Gainwell gets the ball to the SF 6. 3rd and 7, Gainwell is tackled immediately. The Eagles field goal unit comes on to change the score from merely “insurmountable” to “entirely insurmountable.”

Jake Elliott’s 31-yarder is good! The FOX broadcast goes to break with Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom.”

49ers 7-28 Eagles, 7:42, 4th quarter

Gainwell picks up 12 yards for a first down that takes them to the SF 28. He gets the ball again, but gets stuffed. 2nd and 10. Gainwell gets stuffed again, this time for a loss. 3rd and 12. Gainwell gets stopped again but…

There is yet another flag! It’s on Dru Greenlaw, who is caught trying to do a little boxing. An unnecessary roughness penalty gives the Eagles 14 yards and a first down.

49ers 7-28 Eagles, 10:28, 4th quarter

Now we’ll most likely see the Eagles try to run the ball. Indeed, Gainwell picks up three yards to the 49ers’ 40-yard-line. Eagles guard Landon Dickerson is injured on the play, so he leaves the field.

49ers 7-28 Eagles, 10:56, 4th quarter

On 4th and 2, Samuel gets pushed for a loss and the Eagles take over on downs. The hometown crowd cheers. It’s all falling action from here on out.

49ers 7-28 Eagles, 11:43, 4th quarter

2nd and 4, McCaffrey picks up 5 yards for a first down. 1st and 10 at the SF 39, Kittle picks up four yards. The clock keeps ticking and you feel like the Eagles will take this. Samuel gets another yard on 2nd and 6, it’s now 3rd and 5. Tick, tick, tick. McCaffrey gets three yards.

49ers 7-28 Eagles, 14:34, 4th quarter

McCaffrey picks up three yards. Here’s the other problem: the Niners are down so big that they can’t afford to keep running the ball but Purdy can’t really throw.

Finally there’s a flag on the Eagles, who got caught offside. That’s a five-yard penalty and it’s 1st and 5. On the next play, Samuel scrambles for forever but can only pick up a single yard.

Email from Gareth Davis:

Jesus Christ. How many penalties/yards is that on the Niners now? If they had a modicum of discipline they might be keeping this a little tighter, possibly giving themselves a chance and at the very least attracting sympathy for the QB injuries. As it is, it’s hard to feel sorry for a team repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot through idiotic and almost wholly avoidable flags.

That about sums it up, the 49ers weren’t winning with anybody at quarterback playing like this.

49ers 7-28 Eagles, end of the 3rd quarter

McCaffrey gets nine yards on the next play. On 2nd and 1, he gets the ball to the 28-yard-line for a first down. Now, however, they have just one quarter remaining and Johnson will officially not be returning.

49ers 7-28 Eagles, :43, 3rd quarter

Samuel takes the kickoff to the San Francisco 25. You’ll never believe this, but there’s a flag on the play! It’s holding on You Guess What Team. The 49ers take a ten-yard penalty.

Boston Scott picks up two yards on the next play. The Eagles are at the one yard-line. 2nd and goal. The Niners defense stuff Hurts for no gain (not an easy thing to do).

They can’t stop him on third down however, as Hurts rumbles in for a touchdown (with help from his linemen) that might have already ended all the drama here.

The extra point is good. What did I say about not seeing a one-sided blowout in this game?

49ers 7-21 Eagles, 2:28, 3rd quarter

Hurts runs on the next two plays, taking the ball to the San Francisco 21. On 2nd and 8, Hurts goes off for a first down. The Eagles are at the seven-yard line. No make that the third-yard line, after an unnecessary roughness call against the 49ers.

49ers 7-21 Eagles, 4:05, 3rd quarter

Hurts runs for four yards on the next down and then throws incomplete. On 3rd and 6, Hurts throws long but incomplete to Quez Watkins. Kern’s punt is short, but there’s a penalty on the play. It’s a roughing the kicker penalty that gifts Philadelphia an extra 15 yards and a first down.

49ers 7-21 Eagles, 5:26, 3rd quarter

Gainwell picks up a six yard gain on first down but gets stuffed for a one-yard loss on the next play, a great stop by Bosa. 3rd and 5. Hurts tosses a low throw that’s scooped up by Gainwell who gets a 17-yard gain to keep this drive alive. Considering the game situation, that could be a backbreaking completion allowed by SF.

49ers 7-21 Eagles, 6:46, 3rd quarter

Hurts hands it off to Boston Scott, who I always will refer to by his full name. Boston Scott only picks up one yard. 2nd and 9, Hurts scrambles for a six-yard game. 3rd and 2, Hurts finds Smith for a first-down that puts the Eagles at their own 24.

49ers 7-21 Eagles, 8:40, 3rd quarter

McCaffrey, freed from the pressures of emergency quarterbacking, carries the ball a yard. It’s 3rd and 13, Purdy throws a weak pass to McCaffrey who manages to pick up three yards after being pushed back. The 49ers punt again, pinning the Eagles to their own nine-yard line.

49ers 7-21 Eagles, 10:47, 3rd quarter

Purdy has returned to the field but there’s a worry that he might not be able to throw? Samuel takes the ball first and he gets pushed back four yards.

49ers 7-21 Eagles, 10:56, 3rd quarter

McCloud receives the Eagles’ punt and takes is to the San Francisco 45 where… somebody will come in to play offense. Stay tuned to find out!

49ers 7-21 Eagles, 11:01, 3rd quarter

The Eagles start at their own 17 after the punt. Sanders picks up three yards. 2nd and 7, Hurts throws incomplete on the next two plays. The 49ers defense shuts the Eagles down and now we’ll see exactly what they’re going to do on QB. Purdy is trying to warm up on the sidelines.