In the latest episode of “You can take the NFL out of San Diego, but not the San Diego out of the NFL,” Sunday’s much-anticipated match (1:25 p.m. FOX) in Philadelphia will show if San Diego’s John Lynch Jr. has succeeded in taming the league’s green monster.
The NFL-leading Eagles (10-1) are still roughing up opponents as they did last winter when they injured Lynch’s quarterback Brock Purdy, scored three quick touchdowns with surprising ease and headed to the Super Bowl via the 31-7 NFC title game victory over the 49ers.
Since then Lynch, the Hall of Fame safety-turned-general manager from Torrey Pines High School has acquired a pair of defensive linemen in former Eagles tackle Javon Hargrave and aptly named edge rusher Chase Young.
Smart moves, both.
The 49ers (8-3) now stand a better chance against the NFL’s best offensive line and powerful Jalen Hurts, the first quarterback in league history to rush for 10 touchdowns in three consecutive seasons.
Hargrave has rounded into form in recent weeks, driving opposing centers and guards into backfields.
Lynch’s decision to obtain Young last month for a late third-round draft pick has paid fast dividends, such as 10 sacks by San Francisco’s base pass rush in Young’s three games. One of those sacks, of Jacksonsville’s Trevor Lawrence, came off a three-man rush that got home fast.
The upgrades from Lynch, whose playing career benefited from superlative defensive fronts with the Tampa Bay Bucs, were meant to counter an Eagles offense that controls most games. Leaving many of their opponents spent, the Eagles stand second in scoring percentage per drive and second in time consumed per drive. Hurts is completing 67.6 percent of his pass, up from his breakout season last year.
It’s nearly impossible to stop the Eagles’ rugby-style sneaks that have converted short-yardage plays at nearly a 100-percent rate dating to last year. And even if the Eagles stall out near midfield, Jake Elliott showed last Sunday that reaching the opponent’s 41-yard line is good enough.
Elliott’s lined kick from 59 yards, which was was good by some five to 10 yards in sloppy weather, led to a tying field goal at regulation’s end and the 37-34 overtime victory the Bills.
Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan have built a defense that nevertheless looks equipped to slug it out with the Eagles and create a turnover or two.
But it’s anyone’s guess if the 49ers can show better precision than a year ago.
Not only did the Eagles’ sting a 49ers D led by San Marcos’ Fred Warner, an All-Pro lineback and signal-caller who was put into conflict often by clever designs and excellent blocking, they punished Purdy for not stepping up in the pocket as Shanahan said he should’ve. A pass rusher’s first-quarter blow that resulted dealt Purdy an arm injury that led to offseason surgery and brought on Josh Johnson, the University of San Diego alum.
Purdy has responded by starting all 11 games and overcoming a mini-slump that coincided with injuries to All-Pro teammates in left tackle Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey, who’ve since returned.
The second-year QB, a seventh-round selection of Lynch and Shanahan’s who has blunted their mistake of investing three premium picks in QB Trey Lance, leads the NFL in passing rating (112.3), completion percentage (70.2) and net yards per passing attempt (8.42).
The pick for Sunday: Niners 27, Eagles 26.
McCaffrey will reward Shanahan for running much of the offense through him. Lynch will send a thank you text to Bills QB Josh Allen for causing the Eagles to play a whopping 92 defensive snaps last week.
