49ers defeat Eagles thanks to Christian McCaffrey’s 2 touchdowns

The San Francisco 49ers got the job done on the road, defeating the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, 23-19, in the Wild Card Round to advance in the playoffs.

The 49ers will face their NFC West rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, who earned a bye as the No. 1 seed in the NFC this year.

Meanwhile, the Eagles’ season ends in surprising fashion, and they came close to the red zone with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter.

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Just like in the wild card games before theirs, the Eagles and 49ers went down to the wire and it looked like whoever had the last possession would take it home.

But Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts couldn’t connect with DeVonta Smith on third-and-11, forcing a season-altering fourth down on the next play. He dropped back, scanned the field and unloaded on tight end Dallas Goedert, the man who scored both of the Eagles’ touchdowns in this contest.

However, 49ers linebacker Eric Kendricks read the play perfectly, jumping the route and leaving it incomplete with 43 seconds remaining to seal San Francisco’s victory.

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Before that game-deciding drive, Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense needed to respond to the Eagles’ field goal that made the scoreboard read 19-17 on the Jumbotron at Lincoln Financial Field in favor of the home team. Purdy indeed did it, going 10 plays and 66 yards to finally find Christian McCaffrey on third-and-goal for his second score of the game to take a 23-19 lead after Eddy Piñeiro missed the extra point.

It wasn’t the most impressive touchdown of the game for McCaffrey, however, as it came off the arm of wide receiver Jauan Jennings instead of Purdy early in the fourth quarter.

Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after his team’s touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The trick play worked perfectly for head coach Kyle Shanahan, as Purdy returned the ball to Jennings, who then threw it to McCaffrey for the 29-yard touchdown pass. McCaffrey made a beautiful over-the-shoulder grab for the man who also threw a pass in the 49ers’ Super Bowl just a few seasons ago.

This game was a defensive battle on both sides, as Hurts and Purdy made their fair share of errors, although the latter’s showed up on the scoreboard. Purdy threw two interceptions, both to first-team All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

But this group of 49ers, some of whom played limited snaps during the regular season, flew all over the field for coordinator Robert Saleh, and it paid off in the end.

However, Saquon Barkley definitely had a big game on the ground, with 106 yards on 26 carries. But Hurts had just 14 rushing yards on five attempts.

Meanwhile, McCaffrey was held to just 48 yards on 15 carries, although he had 66 yards on six receptions. Additionally, Demarcus Robinson, the game’s first touchdown scorer, led the way with 11 yards on six grabs for the 49ers.

Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass during the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

Unfortunately for San Francisco, they advance to the next round likely without star tight end George Kittle, whose only catch in this game resulted in what is believed to be a torn Achilles for the 32-year-old. The loss is evident considering his leadership qualities and stellar play this year.

With the 49ers’ victory, the Divisional Round is also set elsewhere, with the Los Angeles Rams heading to Chicago to face the Bears after their comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.