The Philadelphia Eagles might still have the best record, but they are no longer the best team in the NFL.
The San Francisco 49ers have established themselves again as the team to beat.
And it sets up an exciting final month in the NFL season in the NFC standings.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw four touchdowns, including two to receiver Deebo Samuel, and the 49ers beat down the Eagles 42-19 at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a touchdown and rushed for another, but Philadelphia was outmatched and outclassed.
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The Eagles led 6-0 in the first quarter, before the 49ers ran away with a dominant victory in a rematch of the NFC championship game from last season.
Here are the winners and losers from the 49ers’ dominant victory.
WINNERS
Brock Purdy
After injuring his elbow on this same field in the NFC title game, Purdy was stellar and effective running the 49ers offense to a convincing win. He completed 19 of 27 passes for 314 yards, four touchdowns and a 148.8 quarterback rating. This performance should silence any doubt of Purdy or the 49ers’ ability to win big games with him.
Kyle Shanahan
The 49ers coach called a masterful game offensively, while his defense was up to the task in slowing down the Eagles. Shanahan deserves credit for putting up more than 40 points against the defending NFC champions. It may not be a win in the NFC title game, but it’s a nice consolation.
Christian McCaffrey
The NFL’s best running back found the end zone again, scoring his 12th rushing touchdown of the season. McCaffrey paced both Shanahan and Purdy with his performance, finishing with 133 total yards on 20 touches, including 93 rushing yards.
Deebo Samuel
If McCaffrey stirred the drink, Samuel threw it in the Eagles’ face. No one on Philadelphia’s defense could catch Samuel in open space as he scored touchdowns of 48 and 46 yards in the second half to turn this game into a blowout. And both of those receiving touchdowns came after Samuel scored on a 12-yard rush in the third quarter.
Dallas Cowboys
The Eagles’ two-game lead over the Cowboys in NFC East has shrunk to one with Philly heading to Dallas in Week 14. If the Cowboys hope to win their division, next week is their best chance.
Detroit Lions
The Lions can look beside them and thank the 49ers for leveling the conference standings. Detroit and San Francisco are both 9-3 and a game behind the Eagles for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
LOSERS
Eagles defense
A unit that played its part in Philadelphia’s 10-2 start, the Eagles defense was shredded by the 49ers. The 49ers averaged 8 yards per play and ran for 146 yards, and Purdy threw for 314 yards. San Francisco also converted on 8 of 11 third-down attempts and its only fourth-down try.
Eagles rushing offense
Jalen Hurts had to do most of his work through the air because of a lack of help from the run game. Sure, the Eagles scored a touchdown from their tush push play, but they only mustered 46 rushing yards. DeAndre Swift wasn’t a factor with 13 yards rushing, while Hurts added 20 yards on the ground.
Eagles’ path to the No. 1 seed
The Eagles still have the NFL’s best record, but the 49ers and Lions pulled one game behind them. If Philly and San Francisco finish the season tied, the 49ers would have the edge by virtue of this win. There’s still plenty of season left for either team to win the conference and home-field advantage that could aid a Super Bowl run. It proved significant for the Eagles last season.
49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw and Eagles chief security officer Dom DiSandro
Greenlaw and DiSandro were ejected after a skirmish in the third quarter. Greenlaw bodyslammed Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith, then made contact with DiSandro’s face after getting pushed by DiSandro as referees tried to diffuse the situation. Guess which one got a rousing ovation from Eagles fans as they left the field? It wasn’t Greenlaw.