The Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers are just moments away from kicking off their huge Sunday Night football debuts for the 2020 NFL season and with both teams dealing with massive injuries on both sides of the ball, here are five matchups to watch when the Birds have the ball:
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1. Lane Johnson-Jordan Mailata vs. 49ers edge rushers
The 49ers will be without both Nick Bosa and Dee Ford and yet they’ll still be formidable upfront. Arik Armstead (6-7, 292) and Kerry Hyder (6-2, 270) can go and both players have the strength to give Eagles star right tackle Lane Johnson some work.
Hyder leads the team with two sacks and six QB hits and both players will likely see spend the early portion of the game feeling Mailata out.
2. Carson Wentz vs. 49ers pass defense
Even with the injuries upfront and in the secondary to Richard Sherman, the 49ers boast the second-best pass defense in the NFL, allowing just 187.3 yards per game through their first three games.
Wentz has struggled through his first three games, but he’ll have a hungry, young group of skill players to support him on Sunday night and there will be plays to be made.
3. Eagles RB Miles Sanders vs. 49ers LB Fred Warner
Warner is a stud linebacker and has continued to improve for the 49ers since San Francisco drafted him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Last season, Warner had 118 tackles, three sacks, an interception, and nine pass breakups and he’ll have his hands full against the explosive Miles Sanders. Sanders is going to get his carries and against Warner, he’ll need to win the battle in the passing game as well.
4. Eagles TE Zach Ertz vs. 49ers S Jimmie Ward
Ertz is starting to hit his groove and had his most productive outing Week 3 with seven catches for 70 yards. With the Eagles wide receiver group depleted, Ertz and Greg Ward will likely see double-digit targets. Ward is talented and has the size to make this a battle.
5. Doug Pederson vs. 49ers DC Robert Saleh
Saleh is in his 16th NFL season as a coach and fourth as the 49ers defensive coordinator. He has one of the NFL’s top units and that’s without some of the game’s elite playmakers like Bosa, Dee Ford, and Richard Sherman.
Like Carson Wentz, Doug Pederson has to get out of his own head and call a perfect game. The run-pass ratio at 65% run, with Sanders playing a huge role in the passing game as well. What he can’t do is subject Carson Wentz to another 52 pass attempts with a makeshift line and a left tackle making his first NFL start.
