The 49ers (6-7) travel to Lincoln Financial Field for a 5:20 ET kickoff against the Philadelphia Eagles (9-4) on Sunday Night Football.
Donovan McNabb starts at quarterback for the Eagles. LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver split the lead back work. DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin lead the receivers. Alex Smith starts for the 49ers; Frank Gore the lead back. Vernon Davis the tight end. Michael Crabtree continues development.
Sunday Night Football at Lincoln Financial in December. The 49ers (6-7) face Donovan McNabb and the Eagles (9-4), the kind of primetime road game where the late-season pride run faces a real NFC playoff team.
Alex Smith stays the starter. Frank Gore at running back. Vernon Davis with 12 receiving TDs leading all NFL tight ends. The Eagles come in with LeSean McCoy in his rookie year and DeSean Jackson as the WR1.
Favored by the Eagles by 8.5 in primetime. A 49ers loss is the kind of result the standings predict; a win would be the year's signature.
Week 15 Sunday Night Football is one of the year's biggest primetime spots. The Eagles (9-4) lead the NFC East wild-card race; the Saints, Vikings, Cardinals, and Cowboys lead the divisions. Around the conference the Giants (8-5) trail the wild-card hunt and the Falcons (7-6) are below the cut line. The 49ers (6-7) are functionally eliminated. The Sunday-night game is the kind of week where a 49ers upset, on national TV in December, would put the year on the right kind of late-season note.
Through thirteen games the 49ers are 6-7 with a +27 point differential. Alex Smith averages 6.7 yards per attempt with 12 TDs and 8 INTs. Frank Gore averages 78 rushing yards a game. Vernon Davis has 12 receiving TDs (NFL TE leader by 4). The defense allows 17.5 points a game. The Eagles are 9-4 with Donovan McNabb averaging 270 passing yards a game and 18 TDs/7 INTs. LeSean McCoy averages 58 rushing yards a game. DeSean Jackson averages 80 receiving yards a game. Vegas opens the Eagles as 8.5-point home favorites; total 47.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 8-5 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 7-6 | W2 |
| New York Jets | 7-6 | W3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 5-8 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 9-4 | L1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 7-6 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-7 | L5 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2-11 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 13-0 | W13 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 7-6 | L1 |
| Houston Texans | 6-7 | W1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 6-7 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Chargers | 10-3 | W8 |
| Denver Broncos | 8-5 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4-9 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-10 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 8-5 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6-7 | W1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-8 | L1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 1-12 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 9-4 | W4 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 8-5 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 7-6 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 4-9 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 11-2 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 9-4 | W5 |
| Chicago Bears | 5-8 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 2-11 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 13-0 | W13 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6-7 | L2 |
| Carolina Panthers | 5-8 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1-12 | L5 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Eagles | DeSean Jackson 19 yard pass from Donovan McNabb ( David Akers kick) | 0-7 |
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 51 yard field goal | 3-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Eagles | Donovan McNabb 8 yard rush ( David Akers kick) | 3-14 |
| Eagles | David Akers 22 yard field goal | 3-17 |
| Eagles | David Akers 26 yard field goal | 3-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 25 yard field goal | 6-20 |
| 49ers | Josh Morgan 12 yard pass from Alex Smith ( Joe Nedney kick) | 13-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Eagles | LeSean McCoy 2 yard rush ( David Akers kick) | 13-27 |
Donovan McNabb threw for 306 yards and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the 49ers 27-13 at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday Night Football. McNabb was 21-of-36 with a touchdown. Leonard Weaver ran for 52. DeSean Jackson caught three for 56 with a touchdown. Alex Smith threw three interceptions. Frank Gore ran for 107. Josh Morgan caught seven for 61 and a touchdown. The 49ers fell to 6-8.[1][2][3]
Donovan McNabb went for 306 yards Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles beat the 49ers 27-13 in the kind of primetime road loss where the offensive growth of the back-half-of-the-season pieces was undone by three Alex Smith interceptions.
Frank Gore ran for 107 in his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the year. Josh Morgan caught a touchdown. DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin combined for 130 receiving for the Eagles. The defense surrendered 27 points and could not get McNabb off the field on the closing drives.
6-8. The kind of Sunday-night road loss that, against an NFC playoff team, exposes the year's actual gap between the 49ers and a real conference contender. The Detroit Lions come to Candlestick next Sunday for the home stretch run. The kind of season-closing finish where 8-8, the first non-losing record since 2002, is still on the table.
Eagles 27, 49ers 13. Margin: -14. Fourteen-game record: 6-8, +13 differential.
* Donovan McNabb: 21-of-36 for 306, 1 TD, 2 INTs.
* DeSean Jackson: 3 catches for 56, 1 TD.
* Leonard Weaver: 17 carries for 52.
* Alex Smith: 20-of-37 for 177, 1 TD (to Morgan), 3 INTs, 42.3 rating.
* Frank Gore: 16 carries for 107.
* Josh Morgan: 7 catches for 61, 1 TD.
* 49ers 6-8; Eagles 10-4.
A 27-13 Sunday Night Football road loss at Philadelphia. The 49ers fall to 6-8 against an NFC playoff team.
How it unfolded
The Eagles scored on their opening drive with a McNabb touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. The 49ers answered with a Joe Nedney field goal. Philadelphia added a touchdown to make it 14-3. The second quarter was a David Akers field goal that made it 17-3. McNabb hit DeSean Jackson on a touchdown to push it to 20-3 at halftime. The third quarter was a Smith touchdown to Josh Morgan and a Nedney field goal that made it 20-13. The fourth quarter was a McNabb-led drive that ended on another touchdown to make it 27-13. The 49ers' final possessions ended on Smith interceptions.
The turning point
McNabb's halftime touchdown to DeSean Jackson. With the Eagles up 14-3 and the 49ers needing to close the gap before halftime, the deep ball pushed the lead to 20-3 and put the game out of reasonable comeback range.
By the numbers
Smith 177 passing on 37 attempts with a TD and three INTs and the 42.3 rating. Gore 107 rushing on 16 carries. Morgan 61 receiving on 7 catches with a TD. Davis 1 catch for 30. McNabb 306 on 36 attempts with a TD. Leonard Weaver 52 rushing. DeSean Jackson the TD.
Personnel watch
Frank Gore in his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the year. Alex Smith's three-interception game, the kind of result that, against a real NFC playoff team, exposes the gap between the back-half growth and a championship-caliber operation. Vernon Davis quiet (1 catch).
What it means
6-8 with the Lions at home next Sunday. The kind of primetime road loss where the season-closing schedule, with two beatable opponents, still has the 49ers at 8-8 in reach. The year's first non-losing season since 2002 remains possible.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Alex Smith | 20/37 | 177 | 1 | 3 | |
| PHI | |||||
| Donovan McNabb | 21/36 | 306 | 1 | 2 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Frank Gore | 16 | 107 | 0 | 37 |
| Alex Smith | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Michael Robinson | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| PHI | ||||
| Leonard Weaver | 17 | 52 | 0 | 9 |
| LeSean McCoy | 9 | 48 | 1 | 8 |
| DeSean Jackson | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Donovan McNabb | 4 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| Michael Vick | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Josh Morgan | 7 | 61 | 1 | 22 |
| Vernon Davis | 3 | 43 | 0 | 19 |
| Delanie Walker | 3 | 28 | 0 | 13 |
| Michael Crabtree | 4 | 26 | 0 | 12 |
| Frank Gore | 3 | 19 | 0 | 7 |
| PHI | ||||
| DeSean Jackson | 6 | 140 | 1 | 59 |
| Brent Celek | 4 | 73 | 0 | 43 |
| Jason Avant | 3 | 44 | 0 | 21 |
| Leonard Weaver | 2 | 18 | 0 | 12 |
| Reggie Brown | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| LeSean McCoy | 3 | 8 | 0 | 11 |
| Kevin Curtis | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Alex Smith | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2009 W15 - 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles - Game Thread
