The Eagles are in a crucial stretch of their schedule and it may have finally caught up with them on Sunday in Philadelphia. The 49ers came into town and poured it on in a dominant 42-19 win.
WIP’s James Seltzer of the Audacy original podcast “Go Birds” gave credit to the 49ers while explaining the tough spot the Eagles were in on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s not an excuse. They got beat. But I honestly it’s so clear the schedule caught up with them in this spot,” Seltzer said (4:20 in player above). “The Monday night game against the Chiefs, a big emotional win, and in the rain, all that on the road. Then you come home and have an overtime game… There’s no way that doesn’t take a toll a week later. There’s no way!”
The Eagles came out of their bye week with a Monday night game in Kansas City. They came back to beat the Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch and had another comeback win last Sunday against the Bills.
The Birds were playing their third game in 13 days on Sunday against the 49ers.
“And it looked that way,” Seltzer said. “They came out on fire with the motivation, they had the excitement, and then as the game went on the team that was rested and ready looked like they were just way faster and way better.
“That didn’t look like the Eagles team we’ve seen this season. I get it, look, the Niners won. I’m not taking anything away from them,” Seltzer continued. “I’m not going to overreact. This team is 10-2. That was a game where, again, we’re like ‘The schedule’s never going to catch up with them! They just keep winning!’ I think it caught up with them, man, and the Niners made it look really ugly at the end.”
Philadelphia drove down the field on each of its first two drives but came away with field goals on each of them. It may have been a different game if they were able to find the end zone early on, but then things unraveled.
“They had motivation and want-to, but I think physically, I just think the schedule finally caught up with them. It took a toll,” Seltzer concluded. “And the Niners came in and were ready and were awesome on top of that.”
Things don’t get any easier for the Eagles with a date in Dallas on Sunday night. Luckily for the Birds, they still control their destiny for the top seed in the NFC and will have a bit more rest if they meet the 49ers in the playoffs.