The San Francisco 49ers pulled off a miraculous upset on Sunday in Philadelphia, knocking off the Eagles, 23-19. At Bovada, the Eagles were favored by six points right before kickoff and the 49ers came out on top.
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Injury Concerns Set the Stage
A huge part of the why the Eagles were favored by six points was because of the injuries to the 49ers. San Francisco was down to its sixth and seventh linebackers on the depth chart.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and linebackers coach Johnny Holland turned to veteran Eric Kendricks and late-season waiver pickup Garret Wallow to start at linebacker on Sunday.
The 49ers were without Fred Warner (ankle), Dee Winters (ankle), Nick Martin (concussion), Tatum Bethune (groin) and Luke Gifford (quad).
Linebackers Rise to the Occasion
With all those injuries at such an important position, there was a huge concern that the Eagles would be able to use running back Saquon Barkley and exploit the 49ers’ newly-acquired linebackers.
Per Pro Football Focus, Wallow had eight tackles, three run stops and one pass broken up and Kendricks had eight tackles, five run stops and one pass broken up (the pivotal fourth-and-11 play that sealed the game). Most importantly, the starting linebackers for the 49ers stepped in and only missed two tackles between the two of them.
What was a massive issue for the 49ers last week became a non-factor with these two veterans manning the middle of the field. Their presence, communication and football IQ to spot plays was pivotal in slowing down Philadelphia’s run game in the second half.
A Stark Contrast From Week 18
In Week 18 when the Seahawks and 49ers faced off, Seattle was able to run right at the 49ers’ defense. Linebackers Tatum Bethune and Dee Winters seemed a step slow and contributed to a lot of missed tackles, which led to a lot of yards after contact.
There’s a chance that Winters might not be able to go with his ankle injury, so the 49ers might be relying on Kendricks and Wallow again this week, which could be an improvement from what they had the last time these two teams faced off.
Marques Sigle Emerges as an Unsung Hero
The last unsung hero on defense was safety Marques Sigle. He was the opening-week starter in Week 1 in Seattle at safety, but fell down the depth chart after the return of Malik Mustapha. With Ji’Ayir Brown missing most of the game on Sunday with a hamstring injury, Sigle stepped in and was flawless.
Sigle had eight total tackles – including a few impressive solo tackles – and also only allowed eight yards on one catch in coverage, per Pro Football Focus. Among all safety prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, Sigle had the fastest 40-yard dash time and that speed was evident on Sunday, as he was erasing plays in coverage down the middle of the field.
Sigle could provide some extra speed and sound tackling in the back end, which would be an added boost from Ji’Ayir Brown, who started at safety in Week 18.
Defensive Adjustments Could Swing Another Upset
These three new starters on defense – assuming Fred Warner doesn’t return for this game – could be a huge difference on that side of the ball for Robert Saleh. In a game with razor-thin margins, this might be the change that helps the 49ers pull off another upset.
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