Preview: Eagles expected to have mud-bowl against 49ers

By: Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly editor 

 On another short week the league-leading Eagles will host the winless San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers are coming off of a blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys. 

The Eagles are coming off of another statement win after beating the Washington Redskins 34-24 on Monday Night Football, and asserting themselves as the top team in football. 

Sunday, Rainy Sunday

The Weather Channel is basically guaranteeing a washout on Sunday, with no lower than a 95% chance of rain between 1 p.m. and 4p.m.

With a wet field expect a sloppy game and both teams to lean heavily on the running game, where the Eagles have a significant advantage over the 49ers. 

The Eagles have the third best rushing offense in the NFL, with 922 yards as a team. The Niners have the 22nd best rushing offense in the NFL with 672 yards. 

The Eagles allow the least number of rushing yards per game, averaging 67.0 from the opposition's ground game. The Niners have the worst rush defense in terms of yardage, allowing 134.6 rushing yards per game. 

A Good Week To Experiment

After both Jason Peters and Jordan Hicks suffered season-ending injuries on Monday night the Eagles are left with two big holes to fill. 

The Redskins picked apart the middle of the field without Hicks patrolling it, leaving questions as to how the Eagles plan to cover tight ends going forward. Mychal Kendricks will be returning, but he has been better in run support than pass coverage throughout his career. 

Halapoulivaati Vaitai filled in very well for Peters at left tackle, picking up blitzes consistently and keeping Wentz's blindside clean. 

With such an inferior opponent, the Eagles can figure out how they want to plug the gaping holes left by Peters and Hicks – they just must be careful not to experiment too much and overlook a hungry 49ers team. 

Injury Report

Not on the injury report are Hicks and Peters, as they have been placed on injured reserve. Ronald Darby is the only name that appears on the injury report, and he is questionable as he gets back into "football shape."

Cornerback K'Waun Williams and defensive lineman Aaron Lynch are listed as out for the 49ers. Tackle Trent Brown (concussion), linebacker Reuben Foster (ankle, ribs), guard Brandon Fusco (bicep), and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (back) are all listed as questionable. 

Brown did not practice at all this week. Fucso only practiced on Friday in a limited fashion, while Goodwin missed practice on Thursday. 

Broadcast Information

Time: 1:00 p.m.

Television: FOX| Play-by-Play by Kenny Albert with color commentary by Charles Davis and sideline reports from Pam Oliver

Radio: 94.1 FM WIP | Play-by-Play by Merrill Reese with color commentary by Mike Quick and sideline reports from Howard Eskin

Online: NFL Game Pass