Eagles vs. 49ers score, takeaways: Philadelphia blows out banged-up San Francisco, advances to Super Bowl LVII

The Eagles and 49ers went head-to-head at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday in the NFC Championship, and while the anticipated defensive battle initially unfolded with physicality from both sides, Philadelphia went on to absolutely dominate the contest. Despite an inconsistent showing from a typically balanced offense, the Eagles produced when it mattered most with their tough-nosed ground game. Even more importantly, they suffocated San Francisco's attack with a defensive front that left both Brock Purdy and fourth-string replacement Josh Johnson injured, cruising to a 31-7 victory.

Purdy, the 49ers' third different QB1 of the season, suffered an elbow injury on a first-quarter strip-sack, and only returned to action when Johnson, his replacement, landed in concussion protocol. The Eagles, meanwhile, were nearly flawless in the red zone and enjoyed a steady ground game to seal the big win, which sends them to the Super Bowl.

Here are some immediate takeaways from Sunday's blowout:

Why the Eagles won

They straight-up out-played, out-coached and, perhaps most impressively, out-muscled the next-best team in the NFC. Five years after stomping all over the Vikings in the conference title game, Philly once again owned its home turf, this time by literally knocking out the 49ers' QBs with a physical performance from the front four, and running over a worn-down San Francisco "D." The 49ers may have come in with the reputation as the ground-and-pound contender, but the Eagles had their way when it mattered most while rushing, with Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell all earning hard-fought yards. Hurts wasn't particularly efficient through the air, and no one was especially explosive as a ball-carrier, but as a collective unit, the group controlled the clock and delivered in enemy territory, sealing the lopsided victory.

Why the 49ers lost

Their QB shuffle finally hurt them in the worst way. All year, they triumphed despite the war of attrition under center, going from Trey Lance to Jimmy Garoppolo to Purdy. But here, with their tallest task yet against a ferocious Eagles front, they couldn't hold up; Purdy left in the first quarter after his wrist and elbow took a shot on a strip-sack, and then he re-emerged only because his replacement, Josh Johnson, got slammed to the grass soon after. As a result, a game plan that already figured to focus on short-area strikes became even more limited, and Kyle Shanahan was forced to essentially lean only on Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, with the former even appearing as a Wildcat QB in the waning minutes of the contest. Shanahan, by the way, didn't exactly oversee a disciplined unit, with penalties repeatedly stunting their momentum in key spots, including on a third-quarter roughing-the-punter infraction.

Turning point

Down 7-0 after the Eagles' opening-drive score, the 49ers drove to midfield before Haason Reddick came flying off the edge and wrecked the whole day, logging a strip-sack of Brock Purdy that not only granted Philly a bonus possession but injured the QB's throwing arm. The play was initially ruled an incomplete pass since the ball bounced off Purdy's own hand and flew into the air, but a challenge from Eagles coach Nick Sirianni successfully overturned the call. More notably, the hit from Reddick, who was a terror out of the gate, left the 49ers shaky under center for the remainder of the contest.

Play of the game

DeVonta Smith had a tremendous one-handed leaping grab to extend the Eagles' opening drive, but since the Fox crew refused to stop talking about how the 49ers failed to overturn a would-be incompletion by challenging the reception, let's go with Reddick's fateful strip-sack that changed the entire contest:

What's next

The Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl for the second time in six seasons after steamrolling their second straight postseason opponent, and will face the winner of the Bengals-Chiefs AFC title game. The 49ers, meanwhile, will enter the 2023 offseason with critical questions under center, where it's unclear whether Purdy or Trey Lance (or perhaps another big name) will go into next season as the starting signal-caller.