Eagles

Recap: Eagles defense torments Niners depleted O-line in blowout

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Jesse Larch
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Jesse Larch Sports Editor

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Published29 Oct 2017

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By: Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly editor Recap: Eagles defense torments Niners depleted O-line in blowout

 A sloppy day in Philadelphia led to a sloppy start for the Eagles on Sunday afternoon. 

The Offensive line struggled against a young and athletic 49ers defense throughout the first half. 

After one quarter of play the Eagles held a 3-0 lead over the winless 49ers on a 40-yard Jake Elliott field goal.

What did not struggle on Sunday was the Eagles' defense. The 49ers were shut out throughout the first half, amassing less than 100 total yards as a team. 

The Eagles would finally score a touchdown late in the second quarter after Carson Wentz connected with Zach Ertz on the goalline. Wentz finished the first half 12-of-16 with 110 yards and one touchdown despite being under heavy pressure. Jake Elliott missed the extra point and the Eagles led 9-0.

The Eagles defense would continue to shine on the very next drive. Just 27 seconds after the Offense scored Jalen Mills intercepted a C.J.Beathard pass and returned it 37-yards for the touchdown with a lot of help from his teammates along the way:

It was the Eagles second interception of the day, after Rodney McLeod picked off Beathard earlier in the game. 

Wentz would connect with Alshon Jeffery for the two point conversion to give the Eagles a 17-0 lead heading into half. 

The Eagles defense pinned the 49ers in their own end forcing a punt that gave the Eagles extremely favorable field position. 

The offense continued to stall, as the San Francisco pass rush was forcing Wentz to throw away the ball and miss receivers down the field. 

The Eagles settled for a 51-yard field from Elliott to take a 20-0 lead. 

Elliott becomes the Eagles' franchise leader for 50-yard field goals in a season with five in just his seventh game. The Eagles as a team have scored 20 points in 12 straight contests dating back to last season, and are the only team in the NFL to do so in every game this season. 

Wentz would give the 49ers a sign of life in the third quarter when he made a horrible pass that was intercepted by Ahkello Witherspoon. Wentz had time in the pocket an either forced the ball to Mack Hollins or Hollins ran the wrong route. 

The Niners would start from the Eagles 21-yard line, and would convert quickly as C.J. Beathard gave a shovel pass to Matt Breida amidst heavy pressure and Breida took the pass 21-yards for a touchdown – the first of his career. The Eagles held a 20-7 lead following a Robbie Gould extra point. 

Wentz would make up for his mistake in a big way on the ensuing drive

Wentz threw down the field to Alshon Jeffery who went over his defender to bring the ball in, then outmuscled two San Francisco players along the sideline for a huge 53-yard touchdown. An Elliott extra point gave the Eagles a 27-7 lead late in the third quarter. You can see the play below:

Early in the fourth quarter the Niners would threaten again. In the red zone C.J. Beathard attempted a screen pass that Fletcher Cox nearly intercepted. On the next play Beathard tried to find Breida again on the goal line but Mychal Kendricks flashed in front of the pass at the last second to force an incompletion. 

Robbie Gould attempted a 27-yard field goal but Eagles rookie first-round pick Derek Barnett broke through the line, blocked the kick and recovered the block that he forced to keep the Eagles up 27-7. 

The Eagles would capitalize on a drive where LeGarrette Blount picked up 26-yards on four carries. Blount would pick up a touchdown from 12-yards out and the Eagles held a 33-7 lead after another missed extra point by Elliott.

The Niners would tack on a field goal from Gould on the following drive. 

The Eagles coasted to a 33-10 victory as they put in backup quarterback Nick Foles and leaned on rookie Corey Clement.

Carson wentz finished with 211 yards passing and two touchdowns with 18 completion in 32 attempts. 

The Eagles defense picked a four sacks and plenty of hurries and hits against the Niners offensive line that was missing multiple bodies. 

The Eagles are now 7-1 on the season, the best record in the NFL. 

They will face the Denver Broncos at home next Sunday.