Did the 49ers Cause the Downfall of the Eagles?

Everything went downhill for the Eagles after the 49ers handed them an embarrassing defeat in Week 13.

It seemed inevitable that the San Francisco 49ers would face the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs this year.

At least, that was the belief coming into the season. But now that scenario will not come to fruition after the Eagles were bounced from the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It is a loss that would've been shocking to hear a couple of months ago, but the Eagles have been in a downward spiral since December. Really, it all started when they faced the 49ers in Week 13.

The Eagles had a record of 10-1 going into that game, and after playing the 49ers they would end up finishing the season with an 11-6 record. Their lone win came against the lowly New York Giants. And practically every statistical category had them ranked at or near the bottom. It is a drastic fall from grace for the Eagles that all started after the 49ers destroyed them on their home turf in Week 13. So, did the 49ers cause the downfall of the Eagles?

Absolutely. That game had both teams heavily invested emotionally. It was a rematch of the 2023 NFC championship game that really never had a chance of being a game when Brock Purdy suffered an elbow injury that rendered him unable to throw. The Week 13 matchup was the one for both teams to really see each other at full strength with the 49ers coming out on top. Well actually, the 49ers lapped the Eagles and put them in a corner in that win. They embarrassed the Eagles.

Losing such a pivotal game in that fashion clearly rattled the Eagles. And like Nick Bosa said, the 49ers laid the blueprint on how to defend Jalen Hurts and the Eagles' offense. There is no way to not credit the 49ers at least partially for their demise. In a way, it is karma for how the team conducted themselves. They were so full themselves and arrogant as if they were champions or had sustained success the last several years.

All of that came back to bite them and now they are exiting the playoffs in the wild card round against the Buccaneers who barely squeaked in. I can't recall a team that had such an implosion, but that is what the 49ers caused with their domino effect win over the Eagles.