49ers take down Eagles behind Christian McCaffrey’s 2 touchdowns

The San Francisco 49ers finished the job on the road and advanced to the playoffs by beating the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 23-19 in the Wild Card Round.

The 49ers will face NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks, who are coming off the No. 1 seed in the NFC this year.

Meanwhile, the Eagles’ season came to a surprising end, closing in on the red zone with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter.

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Just like in the Wild Card games before them, the Eagles and 49ers came to the wire and looked like the final possession would take the ball home.

But Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was unable to connect with DeVonta Smith on third-and-11 and was forced to give up a season-changing fourth down on the next play. He dropped back, scanned the field, and unloaded Dallas Goedert, who scored the Eagles’ two goals in this contest, to the last point.

But 49ers linebacker Eric Kendricks read the play perfectly, jumped the route and failed to complete the play with 43 seconds left for San Francisco’s victory.

EAGLES’ NICK SIRIANNI, AJ BROWN SCREAM AT EACH OTHER DURING WILD CARD RUN VS 49ERS

Before the game-deciding drive, Brock Purdy and the 49ers’ offense had to respond to an Eagles field goal that made it 19-17 for the home team on the Jumbotron at Lincoln Financial Field. Purdy sure did, going 10 plays and 66 yards to find Christian McCaffrey on third-and-goal and his second score of the game for a 23-19 lead after Eddy Pineiro missed the extra point.

But it wasn’t McCaffrey’s most impressive touchdown of the game, as it came off the arm of wide receiver Jauan Jennings instead of Purdy early in the fourth quarter.

Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after his team’s goal against the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The trick play worked perfectly for head coach Kyle Shanahan, as Purdy tipped the ball back to Jennings, who passed it to McCaffrey for a 29-yard touchdown pass. McCaffrey also made a nice catch over the passer’s shoulder in the 49ers Super Bowl a few seasons ago.

This game was a defensive battle for both sides as Hurts and Purdy made their share of mistakes, although the latter showed up in the box score. Purdy threw two interceptions, both on First-Team All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

But this group of 49ers, some of whom played a limited number of snaps during the regular season, flew all over the field for coordinator Robert Saleh, and it ultimately paid off.

Saquon Barkley had an absolutely great game on the ground with 106 yards on 26 carries. But Hurts had just 14 yards on five attempts.

McCaffrey, meanwhile, was held to just 48 yards on 15 carries despite having 66 yards on six catches. Additionally, Demarcus Robinson, who scored the first touchdown of the game, led the 49ers in six grabs with 11 yards.

Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass during the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

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Unfortunately for San Fran, they move on to the next round without likely star tight end George Kittle; George Kittle’s only catch in this game resulted in what is believed to be a torn Achilles tendon for the 32-year-old. Considering his leadership qualities and his stellar play this year, this loss goes without saying.

With the 49ers’ win, the Divisional Round will also be held elsewhere, with the Los Angeles Rams traveling to Chicago to face the Bears after their comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.

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