49ers

One oh-my-God catch and an unbending defense let the 49ers dispatch the Cowboys and return to the NFC championship game.

And instead of Purdy, it was the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott who was pressured into big mistakes: two interceptions that led to a pair of Robbie Gould’s four field goals. What Purdy had was all kinds of composure — and the sense not to try to do too much, just his part. The 49ers took over again and wouldn’t give the ball up until 3:04 remained — “chewing the clock,” Purdy said, holding on for nearly eight minutes before settling for Gould’s 28-yard field goal. “You could feel it in the whole stadium — that, man, that felt good,” Purdy said. Parsons was almost condescending on the subject in the days leading up to the game — he did everything but call Purdy a cute kid. Sometimes watching this exquisitely crafted yet deep and muscled 49ers team is like trying to follow a magic trick, and sometimes it’s like watching a tank. “It was some tough runs, some tough yardage out there,” said the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey, who qualified as a big scorer with his two-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter set up by “The Bobble.” Instead, George Kittle made something so big happen, a catch so eye-widening and lore-worthy, that it rescued this stingy small-yardage game and helped vault the 49ers to the NFC championship game by the suggestively grudging score of 19-12. It started with a naked bootleg by rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who whirled to his left and found none of his options available. “You don’t see a young player making panicked decisions,” Cowboys Coach Mike McCarthy remarked of Purdy in the previous week. “The Bobble” was somewhat less definitive — the 49ers still must get past the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles if they want to play for the Lombardi Trophy. — For all the foot-burners on the field at Levi’s Stadium in Sunday’s NFC divisional-round playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, it was becoming a battle of attrition, turnovers, field position, old-school defense and — swallow hard — kickers.

Dak Prescott's interception woes continued and Dallas' kicker missed an extra point as the Cowboys fell to the 49ers in the divisional round of the N.F.L. ...

The stout Cowboys defense held the 49ers to a field goal after each turnover. As Maher prepared to kick the extra point after Dallas’s first touchdown of the game, Cowboys fans stopped swinging their blue and white towels and seemed to hold their collective breath. Despite adding another kicker to the roster ahead of Sunday’s game, the Cowboys stuck with Maher, who had missed just three extra points in the regular season. The 49ers’ Robbie Gould connected on a 26-yard field goal to put San Francisco ahead, 3-0. “Just so everyone has an idea of what Dallas and the Niners mean to people,” he said. Often, one team’s biggest obstacle to winning a championship was the other.

The first half of the NFC divisional round game between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys was a defensive showdown.

The Cowboys have won five of the last eight meetings with the 49ers, but San Francisco has won the last two, including a 23-17 victory in last season's wild card game. Gould then hit a 50-yard field goal as time expired to send the 49ers into the break with a 9-6 lead. Facing fourth-and-4 from the San Francisco 35-yard line, the Cowboys went for it rather than allow Maher to attempt the field goal. That set up Robbie Gould’s 26-yard field goal to give the 49ers a 3-0 lead with 2:12 left in the first quarter. CeeDee Lamb spun his way for a first down, gaining four yards to extend the drive. It was the top-ranked San Francisco defense that helped open the scoring on Sunday.

The 49ers beat the Cowboys 19-12 in the divisional playoffs to punch their ticket to the NFC championship.

That’s a couple big plays for him in a game where the 49ers needed him to be good. – Huge third-down throw from Purdy to Aiyuk on third-and-2 to extend the drive. – Big-time TD drive for the 49ers ends on the first play of the fourth quarter. – Huge return for the Cowboys after the TD, and now they’re rolling. – Pressure from the 49ers and Prescott steps up for a huge run on fourth down. The result was an easy screen to Lamb for a first down. Purdy just throws the ball away in time to leave San Francisco one second for a field goal to end the half. Just easy the whole way down on the ground and in the air. – Great timing on a blitz by Talanoa Hufanga forces a quick throw and a tackle for loss from Jimmie Ward. – Wake-up call on the 49ers’ first offensive series. Huge play that puts the 49ers at the Cowboys’ 21 to start their second series. They punched their ticket to the NFC championship for the third time in four years.

Behind a stifling defense, the 49ers eliminate the Cowboys for the second season in a row to move into the NFC championship game at the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Just for TV, get the ratings up. It was a 30-yard reception by tight end George Kittle, who stretched with his right hand to tip the ball back to himself. On the opening play of the fourth quarter, Christian McCaffrey scored on a two-yard touchdown run that put the 49ers up, 16-9, all the lead they would need. “Our takeaways for the season speak for themselves. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who was coming off a stellar performance in a wild-card win at Tampa Bay, was reacquainted with the interception issues that dogged him during the regular season. I can promise that the number will never be this again.” “He gave me a catchable ball, and I was just trying to be dramatic,” the tight end said with a smile. “That’s pretty sweet in the playoffs.” “He made a number of plays today,” Shanahan said. But Dallas didn’t force the rookie quarterback into a turnover. “We thought we were going to be able to get our hands on the ball just because of the way we play on defense,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. “The number that it’s gotten to is ridiculous.

The Philadelphia Eagles will host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. Here's how to watch.

Fox will broadcast the game. What is the weather forecast for the NFC Championship Game? 2 San Francisco 49ers](https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/49ers) sent another NFC East team packing when they [beat the Dallas Cowboys 19-12](https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/9ers-beat-cowboys-advance-nfc-championship-game/2959582/). What time is the NFC Championship Game? The Eagles jumped out to a 28-0 lead at halftime and never looked back. When is the NFC Championship Game?

The 49ers are headed to the NFC Championship Game for the second straight season after they beat the Cowboys on Sunday night.

Robbie Gould converted four big field goals in the win. PT next Sunday, with the winner advancing to Super Bowl LVII on Feb. He completed 19-of-29 passes for 214 yards but didn't throw any touchdown passes.

The San Francisco 49ers might be the hottest team in the NFL, but they're not favored in the NFC championship game. The Philadelphia Eagles have been the ...

Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher was trying to get practice kicks in before the AFC divisional round, but San Francisco 49ers members didn't like where he ...

[Christian McCaffrey](https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/christian-mccaffrey), George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and the many other weapons he has at his disposal. This game also might come down to the kicking game between Maher and 49ers veteran Robbie Gould. Prescott’s scramble at the end of last year’s playoff game against San Fran saw the clock run out, leaving everyone scratching their heads. [CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP](https://www.foxnews.com/apps-products?pid=AppArticleLink) [CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM](https://www.foxnews.com/sports) [The 49ers](https://www.foxnews.com/category/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers) clearly weren’t pleased as they walked in front of Maher’s pre-game ritual, which sparked the argument.

In a conference championship round filled with star quarterbacks, the San Francisco 49ers' defense might end up being the star of the NFL's final four. San ...

Nick Bosa and the San Francisco 49ers are preparing for their playoff showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. Will Bosa get an extension with the Niners?

Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 4 million WordPress sites. Generated by Wordfence at Mon, 23 Jan 2023 7:06:39 GMT. If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site, please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send".

The 49ers are headed to the NFC Championship Game for the second straight season after they beat the Cowboys on Sunday night.

Robbie Gould converted four big field goals in the win. PT next Sunday, with the winner advancing to Super Bowl LVII on Feb. He completed 19-of-29 passes for 214 yards but didn't throw any touchdown passes.

NFL Twitter had a field day when the Dallas Cowboys' last play call failed miserably against the 49ers on Sunday.

[Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast](https://art19.com/shows/49ers-talk) But before Turpin landed back to the ground after jumping, 49ers safety Jimmie Ward decked him to wipe out any chance of a lateral pass. Running back Ezekiel Elliott lined up as the center and only offensive lineman, with Dak Prescott in the shotgun and Malik Davis beside him.

To win the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers have to do everything they did to beat the Cowboys ... only better.

After Dallas drove for a field goal to make it 16-12, the 49ers went on another time-consuming drive, this time featuring seven hard [Elijah Mitchell](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/elijah-mitchell-U2DluzFgHJ8ncRvW/) runs for 26 yards, to set up a short [Robbie Gould](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/robbie-gould-jBFH4R11aFY9PYhJ/) field goal and the final score. When he sets up his game plan for these games, he has a pretty specific sense of how he thinks it has to go and what he wants to avoid. “I was trying to see if there would be a window opening up late, and I think the corner undercut it. Dallas’ pass rush wasn’t the same (the Cowboys had 54 on the season and two more against the [49ers](https://theathletic.com/nfl/team/niners/) look overpowering on Sunday as they mucked around and outlasted the [Cowboys](https://theathletic.com/nfl/team/cowboys/), 19-12, at Levi’s Stadium? And showed that the 49ers are the only NFC team that is capable of solving them on this stage. The 49ers’ defense prides itself on shutting down the run, and it was worth underlining that Dallas essentially abandoned its rushing game in the second half. Instead, the 49ers got the momentum from that stop. The 49ers are the No. But the high-flying team heading into next weekend’s epic NFC Championship Game matchup in Philadelphia right now is the [Eagles](https://theathletic.com/nfl/team/eagles/), who destroyed the [Giants](https://theathletic.com/nfl/team/giants/) in their divisional-round game. And they don’t have to be daring and dynamic to be extremely difficult to beat. [Jalen Hurts](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/jalen-hurts-yhzPJprUoEnfzPvf/) missed two of the last three games of the regular season and they finished 14-3.

With a catch described as "unbelievable" by teammate Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco tight end George Kittle provided the jumpstart the 49ers needed at a ...

"You see it every day with the way he prepares and you see it in practice and games," McCaffrey said. And if that wasn't available, Purdy was supposed to find fullback [Kyle Juszczyk](http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/16002/kyle-juszczyk) in the flat. That's why coach Kyle Shanahan and the rest of his team were quick to turn the page after Sunday's win. On Sunday, Purdy faced the toughest test of his young career against a Dallas defense that led the NFL in quarterback pressure percentage this season. So, in order to do that we've got to make sure we take care of business." "But when so much is on the line and you know everyone is going to be playing their best football, every drive and every moment matters." If that wasn't there, the ball was supposed to go to wideout [Deebo Samuel](http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3126486/deebo-samuel) farther down the left side. "I'm not in the read at all," Kittle said. Kittle and Purdy have had a quick chemistry since Purdy took over in Week 14. "That was one of the best catches I've ever seen. He finished with five catches on as many targets for 95 yards, the most by a Niners tight end in a playoff game since Vernon Davis had 104 in Super Bowl XLVII. I was trying to be a little dramatic, get the ratings up.

George Kittle produced one of best plays so far this postseason as he caught the ball after it juggled off his helmet, before the San Francisco 49ers went ...

It's been a stunning season for the very last pick in the 2022 NFL draft, and he's yet to lose a game while starting. Kittle was a full stretch, and juggled the ball while running at full speed. Kittle finished the game with 95 receiving yards off just five receptions, but his star highlight came from an extraordinary grab.

The 49ers will travel to face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, Fox). San Francisco 49ers. After a few below-standard ...

For a defense that feasted on quarterback pressures and takeaways, it had difficulty getting to Purdy in the second half, and Troubling trend: It's hard to blame the Cowboys' defense for anything; but in the second half, it allowed a 91-yard scoring drive with the score tied 9-9, and after the Cowboys cut the deficit to 16-12, they allowed a 64-yard field goal drive. He became the first Cowboys quarterback with two interceptions in a playoff game since Troy Aikman in the 1998 wild-card round. Without his speed and elusiveness, the Cowboys could not do much of anything against a Niners run defense that did not allow an individual runner to top 70 yards during the season. It was just the second red zone pick of the season for Prescott. The Cowboys are now 6-13 in the playoffs when their quarterback has multiple interceptions in a game. Since winning Super Bowl XXX in the 1995 season, the Cowboys have lost to the That showed up on Sunday as they stood in the middle of the ring and exchanged blows for all 60 minutes, before the Niners emerged with the victory. As a result, the Cowboys' Super Bowl drought is now at 27 years and counting, and they face a daunting offseason that sees them with limited salary-cap options, crucial free agent decisions and the potential loss of two coordinators to head-coaching jobs elsewhere. It came with 5 minutes, 19 seconds left in the third quarter, when Purdy rolled to his left and saw tight end So, Kittle improvised, reaching out with his right hand and juggling it twice before hauling it in for a 29-yard gain. As in the number of turnovers he had.

Heading into the Cowboys-49ers matchup, Bayless had complete confidence in Dallas. The "Undisputed" host even tweeted a prediction after Dallas' 31-14 wild-card ...

The prediction, however, didn't come to fruition. Heading into the Cowboys-49ers matchup, Bayless had complete confidence in Dallas. became a reality.

The Eagles are a win away from returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018.

Purdy has run the table since taking over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo. They'll host the San Francisco 49ers at 3pm Sunday, per [Nick Sirianni](https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/watch-nick-sirianni-rocks-chain-crazy-eagles-postgame-locker-room).

But YAC was hard to come by in Sunday's 19-12 NFC divisional-round playoff win over the Cowboys. This was a throwback type of battle; one of those bruising, ...

“It’s going to be cold. I was trying to have fun. I was trying to be myself. [George Kittle](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/george-kittle-dDoajDmT8A77o3JR/)’s effort late in the third quarter “The 9-Yard Catch.” That’s the distance it required the 49ers’ tight end to secure the football on a reception that ultimately netted 30 yards and served as a key cog in the team’s go-ahead, 91-yard touchdown drive. And a sensational catch that helped yank a tug-of-war into the 49ers’ favor. Kittle’s catch, fittingly, came on a play that wasn’t designed to be thrown in Kittle’s direction. But YAC was hard to come by in Sunday’s 19-12 NFC divisional-round playoff win over the [Cowboys](https://theathletic.com/nfl/team/cowboys/). [49ers](https://theathletic.com/nfl/team/niners/) of this era have been perennial league leaders in yards after the catch. It needed balance to knock the Cowboys on their heels. The 49ers had a first down. “He was sitting in a chair. Just trying to get the ratings up.”

The play that ignited the 49ers Sunday, George Kittle's 30-yard juggling catch over the middle, was gloriously off-script. Same has been true for their ...

Kyle Shanahan understands why fans were frustrated with his clock management to end the first half, but doubled down on his play-calling.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott needed a flawless game against the San Francisco 49ers' No. 1 defense. Instead, his two first-half interceptions ...

[Brock Purdy](https://www.nfl.com/players/brock-purdy/), holding the Niners' run game to 3.5 yards per attempt, not letting [Deebo Samuel](https://www.nfl.com/players/deebo-samuel/) do Deebo Samuel things and keeping an offense that had scored 30-plus points in six of its past seven games to just 19. The special teams were solid enough, with [Brett Maher](https://www.nfl.com/players/brett-maher/) overcoming an early blocked PAT to connect on two field goals. Dallas is 0-7 in the Divisional Round since 1995, the worst record over that span. Something I've got to get in the offseason," he said. [first interception](https://www.nfl.com/videos/can-t-ignore-lenoir-49ers-cb-reads-prescott-for-qb-s-first-int-of-playoffs) led directly to the Niners' opening field goal. There is no way to sugarcoat it: The loss falls squarely on the quarterback. You can't have on the road. You can't have in the playoffs. [Dak Prescott](https://www.nfl.com/players/dak-prescott/) needed a flawless game against the San Francisco 49ers' No. Instead, his two first-half interceptions turned the tide in an eventual [19-12](https://www.nfl.com/games/cowboys-at-49ers-2022-post-2) road defeat. Tip it up in the air and tip it to the Mike (linebacker). The

The San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles play on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. Which team will win the game?

Chiefs](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/23/cincinnati-bengals-kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-playoff-game-schedule-tv/69827485007/) Eagles](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/23/san-francisco-49ers-philadelphia-eagles-nfl-playoff-game-schedule-tv/69827474007/) Eagles](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/23/san-francisco-49ers-philadelphia-eagles-betting-odds-nfc-championship-game/69827381007/) Chiefs](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/22/cincinnati-bengals-kansas-city-chiefs-betting-odds-afc-championship-game/69827415007/) Chiefs](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/23/cincinnati-bengals-kansas-city-chiefs-picks-predictions-afc-championship-game/69827593007/) Eagles](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/23/san-francisco-49ers-philadelphia-eagles-picks-predictions-nfc-championship-game/69827560007/) [Announcers/TV info.](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/23/nfl-playoffs-announcers-television-schedule-afc-nfc-championship-games/69827451007/) [Sports Betting Dime](https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/nfl/odds/matchup/e04a50a8-3007-4963-b5b5-fa91c809761c/): 49ers 20.6, Eagles 18.8 [NFL playoff odds](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/23/nfl-playoffs-odds-nfc-afc-championship-point-spreads-moneylines-totals/69827289007/): [NFC Championship Game: 49ers vs. [The Republic's predictions](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/23/nfl-playoffs-picks-predictions-nfc-afc-championship-games-sunday/69827427007/) [Draft Kings](https://dknation.draftkings.com/2023/1/22/23566539/49ers-vs-eagles-predictions-pick-against-the-spread-opening-odds-nfc-championship-game-nfl-playoffs): Take the Eagles to cover vs. [San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/23/san-francisco-49ers-philadelphia-eagles-betting-odds-nfc-championship-game/69827381007/) play on Sunday, Jan. [NFL playoff picks](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/23/nfl-playoffs-picks-predictions-nfc-afc-championship-games-sunday/69827427007/): [NFC Championship Game: 49ers vs. [Eagles are a 2.5-point favorite](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/01/23/nfl-playoffs-odds-nfc-afc-championship-point-spreads-moneylines-totals/69827289007/) in the game.

The improbable run continued for the 49ers on Sunday when they knocked off the Cowboys 19-12 in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

“Man, we're just excited that we won,” said Purdy, the 49ers' unbeaten rookie quarterback. “Everyone did their part. It's playoff football, it's never easy, but ...

“I’m not even in the read, so I just kind of saw a space and he hadn’t thrown it yet so I was just going up the field,” Kittle said. Cowboys: RB Tony Pollard left late in the first half after injuring his left ankle while getting tackled following a reception. Roy Gerela missed six tries in 43 attempts in the 1970s for Houston and Pittsburgh. “He gave me a catchable ball and I was just trying to be dramatic. The 49ers (15-4) used back-to-back long scoring drives in the second half to wear down the Cowboys (13-6) and win their 12th straight game. The Cowboys took over at their 6 and never got close from there. Maher's five missed PATs are the second most by any NFL kicker in the playoffs. For us to only put up the points that we did, that’s unacceptable. “Defense gave us an opportunity to win this game. There’s no other way to sugarcoat it.” — (AP) — Brock Purdy rolled to his left and saw his first few options covered. At the last second, George Kittle broke free running deep, Purdy threw across his body and Kittle made a juggling catch that sparked San Francisco's only touchdown drive.

The season's over for the Dallas Cowboys, but there's still things to sort out. The 19-12 defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers leaves an empty ...

On the opening drive of the half, Dallas had 4th-and-5 from midfield and punted, but Kelvin Joseph forced a fumble that Dallas recovered. They converted 4th-and-1 from the SF19 on a drive that led to their only touchdown. Teams need every edge and there were a couple of decisions in the game that could have cost the Cowboys an opportunity to continue drives. The Cowboys did Prescott no favors in the offseason with their decisions to trade Amari Cooper and re-sign Michael Gallup for big money. On a too-far throw from Brock Purdy to George Kittle, the ball was bobbled up in the air. Lawrence, who took a pay cut to remain with Dallas in the offseason, hasn’t had a sack since Week 11, but with Micah Parsons playing Christian-McCaffrey spy, Lawrence was the team’s primary player beind the line. Pollard was a first-time Pro Bowler in his fourth season, the final year on his rookie deal. A few plays later Christian McCaffrey was up the middle for the 16-9 lead. A concern, but not the primary responsibility of a top-tier corner. To that point, Lamb had been a possession receiver, but the 46 yarder helped boost his numbers to 10 receptions for 117 yards. The FOX broadcast booth was busy lamenting a finger injury to Lamb that caused him to get his right pinky taped to his ring finger. There were certainly periods of euphoria sprinkled in, but all in all there were too many regret-causing moments for Dallas to pull off the road upset.

The Eagles and 49ers, the top two seeds in the NFC playoff bracket, will meet Sunday in Philadelphia for the NFC Championship Game.

The Eagles are 3-4 in NFC Championship Games, beating the Cowboys at home in 1980; losing to the Rams in St. Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner are among the best linebacker tandems in the NFL. The 49ers edged the Eagles by 15 yards for the No. The 49ers beat the Cowboys 19-12 on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara to advance. 1 in defense and No. 2 in defense and No.

Dallas Cowboys fans took out their frustrations on each other as they watched their team fall to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night in the playoffs.

The tight end finished with five catches for 27 yards. CeeDee Lamb led the Cowboys with 10 catches for 117 yards. [COWBOYS' MIKE MCCARTHY STIFF ARMS CAMERAMAN AFTER LOSS TO 49ERS](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/cowboys-mike-mccarthy-stiff-arms-cameraman-loss-49ers) Dallas managed two field goals in the second half. Both interceptions came in the first half. One video posted to the Dallas Texas TV Twitter account showed a melee outside the stadium.

Running back Christian McCaffrey said he had to fight through the 49ers' playoff victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

The touchdown gave the 49ers a 16-9 lead. McCaffrey has scored at least one touchdown in eight consecutive games for the 49ers. But it's definitely a good defense that we played.” They fly to the ball, they tackle well. McCaffrey has electrified the 49ers’ offense since his midseason arrival from the Carolina Panthers in a blockbuster trade. They definitely caused some problems for us early.

Takeaways from the San Francisco 49ers' 19-12 divisional playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Then he hauled in a 17-yard catch to open a 49ers series that led to a field goal after Dallas had cut the lead to 16-12. Through two playoff games he’s yet to have one, marking the first time all year he went consecutive games without getting the QB on the ground. The 49ers came out on top of their ninth postseason meeting with the Cowboys, moving their all-time record against Dallas to 4-5 in playoff games. Finally, with the 49ers trying to run out the clock at the two-minute warning, head coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a pass to his star tight end, who made the catch and lurched ahead for 16 yards and a first down to open the drive. It was the second year in a row San Francisco knocked Dallas out of the postseason. After a long stretch of games where the 49ers weren’t really tested, Dallas provided San Francisco’s biggest challenge of their 12-game winning streak.

We're looking at 10 key stats to know in advance of the NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Fransisco 49ers.

Philadelphia is tied for 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards and leads the NFL in rushing first downs. His NFC Championship opponent, the 49ers allows a 41% rate on passes of 25+ yards (16-of-39), for 687 yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 106.6 rating allowed, which puts San Francisco in the bottom five. Even ignoring the NFL-best 15 interceptions (and NFL-best 3.4% interception rate), Eagles opponents are averaging just 4.80 net yards per pass attempt, the top rate in the league. [San Francisco defeating Philadelphia 17-11](https://theeagleswire.usatoday.com/lists/philadelphia-eagles-san-francisco-49ers-snap-count-week-2/) as Jimmy Garoppolo threw one touchdown pass and ran in for another score. The Eagles are also averaging 4.87 yards per carry, good enough for 5th best. [All-Pro](https://theeagleswire.usatoday.com/lists/eagles-news-nfl-all-pro-takeaways-jalen-hurts-mvp-patrick-mahomes/) quarterback Jalen Hurts had an uneven performance in the loss, completing just 12 of 23 passes for 190 yards. [Football Perspective](https://footballperspective.com/the-eagles-rushing-offense-is-better-than-their-opponents-passing-offense/) looked at the Eagles’ offense and the machine is so efficient that even when Philadelphia focuses on the running game, they still average more yards per play than their opponents do through the air. San Francisco’s dominant defense allowed just 98 explosive plays in the regular season, which tied for the fourth-fewest in the NFL according to TruMedia. [Nick Bosa had two sacks](https://theeagleswire.usatoday.com/lists/philadelphia-eagles-49ers-takeaways-observations-17-11-loss/) and San Francisco’s defense shut down Philadelphia was dominant against Atlanta in a 32-6 season-opening win. The 49ers’ defense leads the NFL in expected points added with 114.98, which measures how effective a defense is to decrease an opponent’s likelihood of scoring each play according to TruMedia. [defeated the New York Giants 38-7](https://theeagleswire.usatoday.com/lists/philadelphia-eagles-advance-nfc-championship-giants-jalen-hurts-brian-daboll/) on Saturday to clinch a spot in the title game and then watched on Sunday evening, as the Niners (13-4) defeated the Cowboys 19-12 at Levi’s Stadium. [Eagles are one win away](https://theeagleswire.usatoday.com/gallery/philadelphia-eagles-giants-photos-nfc-divisional-round-jalen-hurts/) from returning to the Super Bowl and they’ll face a familiar foe in the NFC Championship game when the San Francisco 49ers head to Lincoln Financial Field next Sunday at 3:00 pm.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott talked about his performance in the team's 19-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night.

[Brett Maher missed](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/cowboys-brett-maher-extra-point-attempt-blocked-woes-continue-texas-gov-abbott-leads-the-reactions) an extra-point attempt after Prescott’s touchdown to Schultz. [Dalton Schultz](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/cowboys-dalton-schultz-faces-scrutiny-performance-final-drive-vs-49ers) in the first half. "Those are throws you can't have, not in the playoffs," Prescott said. "Understandably, hitching three times, thought I was gonna go on a scramble but the guy just came back to the ball and made a play. On the second one, the nickel [cornerback] squeezed, and I tried to throw it to CeeDee [Lamb]; but the [defender] was able to make a play on it. [CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM](https://www.foxnews.com/sports)

What do we know about the 49ers? The surface stuff – rookie quarterback, 12-game winning streak, great defense, a lot of weapons on offense, and a third ...

Running the football is crucial, and Hurts is the important element in that equation. The 49ers have the top-ranked defense in the league, No. Dallas did a good job on Sunday by winning at the line of scrimmage, by stopping the running game (the 49ers gained 113 yards on 32 carries), and by tackling very well. Those are four threats right there, but there are more – fullback Kyle Jusczcyk is considered the best in the NFL, wide receiver Jauan Jennings is a contributor as is receiver Ray-Ray McCloud is a threat, and running back Elijah Mitchell forms a good combination with McCaffrey. But there are weaknesses on every team, so the onus is on the Eagles finding a few and winning those battles on Sunday. He was held in check by Seattle, but then had a huge game against Dallas with 5 receptions, 95 yards, including the big 31-yard catch and run that sparked the San Francisco offense. You can look at this any number of ways, but here are some to win on Sunday: effectiveness on third down both offensively and defensively, touchdown efficiency in the red zone on both sides of the ball, and turnover differential. Clearly, the Eagles need to be outstanding against Kittle, a superb catch-and-run player, and they have to defend against the dual-threat skills of Samuel and McCaffrey. Same with the 49ers in their win over Dallas – they won on third down, they were the same as Dallas in the red zone, and they won the takeaway battle, 2-1. The surface stuff – rookie quarterback, 12-game winning streak, great defense, a lot of weapons on offense, and a third appearance in the last four NFC title games. The 49ers have enormous faith in their rookie quarterback, who has been poised and productive and flat-out terrific in his seven starts. This is a fitting matchup in the NFC Championship Game with the two best teams in the conference squaring off at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday at 3 PM.

Brock Purdy was selected with the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft but the rookie has led the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship Game after they ...

“I'm just so proud of the team and playoff football is not easy, so to go and pull off a win like that against a great team like Dallas and now going to the NFC Championship, it means a lot to us and for myself. “Yeah, I mean I'm just so, right now I'm still focused in a sense with just the game and what we could have done to be better,” Purdy said. The vaunted San Francisco defence led the team to the victory as they snatched a pair of interceptions from quarterback Dak Prescott.

With every 49ers win, rookie quarterback Brock Purdy etches his name in the history books.

The only other quarterbacks to do so in their first season are Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez. Turnovers proved to be the difference in Sunday's hard-fought defensive battle, and Purdy's ability [beating the rival Cowboys](https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/49ers/brock-purdy-thankful-take-part-storied-49ers-cowboys-rivalry) in the playoffs while reaching many milestones along the way.

Running back Christian McCaffrey said he had to fight through the 49ers' playoff victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Christian McCaffrey scored on a go-ahead run in the fourth quarter and his defense did the rest, sending the 49ers to their second straight NFC title game.

“He’s playing at a high level, getting our best players the football, he’s awesome and confident in the huddle. Purdy, the final pick in the 2022 draft, improved to 7-0 as a starter since replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo early in Week 13. The 49ers used back-to-back long scoring drives in the second half to wear down the Cowboys and win their 12th straight game. I mean, he’s only won I think like seven in a row now. He later made two field goals. Dallas never got close from there.

The Atlanta Falcons are still searching for a new defensive coordinator following Dean Pees' retirement, but regardless of who they hire, this defense must ...