What we learned as CMC, Jennings power 49ers' stunning wild-card win over Eagles

BOX SCOREOne of the gutsiest play-calls of Kyle Shanahan’s coaching career helped the 49ers pull off a stunning 23-19 upset of the No. 3-seeded Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Game on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.Gutsy describes the 49ers’ win, which was secured when quarterback Brock Purdy found running back Christian McCaffrey for a go-ahead 4-yard touchdown with just under three minutes remaining in regulation. PURDY TO CMC FOR THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/N3bZzQ3HlR — 49ers on NBCS (&commat;NBCS49ers) January 12, 2026 The 49ers’ injury-ravaged defense came up huge when they needed it the most, stopping the Eagles just outside the red zone to secure the victory. THE 49ERS' DEFENSE GETS THE STOP pic.twitter.com/oArxp02v6R — 49ers on NBCS (&commat;NBCS49ers) January 12, 2026 On the first play of the fourth quarter, with the 49ers trailing 16-10, Shanahan called a jet-sweep wide receiver-pass, with Jauan Jennings hitting a wide-open McCaffrey for a go-ahead 29-yard touchdown. JET-SWEEP REVERSE TD pic.twitter.com/GC9zALAQpm — 49ers on NBCS (&commat;NBCS49ers) January 12, 2026 With the win, the 49ers advance to the NFC divisional round, where they will travel to Seattle for a rematch with the Seahawks next weekend. The winner will advance to the conference championship game to face the winner of the other divisional round game between the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears.The 49ers overcame a shaky game from Purdy, who completed 18 of 31 pass attempts for 262 yards and two touchdowns. The fourth-year pro was intercepted twice by Pro Bowl cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.McCaffrey’s biggest impact came as a receiver, with the All-Pro catching six passes for 66 yards and two massive touchdowns. The NFL MVP candidate was bottled up on the ground, gaining just 48 yards on 15 carries.The 49ers will proceed without star tight end George Kittle, who sustained a right Achilles injury in the second quarter and was ruled out just before halftime.With the Eagles in the rearview mirror, the 49ers turn their attention to the Seahawks.San Francisco and Seattle split their season series, with the 49ers winning at Lumen Field in the season opener and the Seahawks emerging victorious at Levi’s Stadium in the regular-season finale last weekend.Here are Matt Maiocco’s takeaways from the 49ers’ thrilling win:Purdy makes up for mistakesThe 49ers needed quarterback Purdy to take care of the football and not give the Eagles additional opportunities.Purdy did not play error-free ball, but the 49ers were able to overcome his two interceptions.The 49ers were in good field position near midfield early in the third quarter when his pass intended for Skyy Moore was intercepted by Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. That mistake did not cost the 49ers any points, but it worked against them in the game of field position.Purdy made another miscue in the fourth quarter when he threw behind tight end Jake Tonges, allowing Mitchell to come up with his second interception of the game.The Eagles moved down the field after their second takeaway of the game to set up Jake Elliott for a 33-yard field goal to give Philadelphia a 19-17 lead with 8:00 remaining in the fourth quarter.But Purdy didn’t break under the pressure, moving the 49ers down the field and connecting with McCaffrey for the game-winning touchdown.Jennings’ big-game armJennings fashioned his throwing ability for the second time in a big postseason game.Jennings, whose previous pass attempt was a touchdown throw in the Super Bowl, came out with another scoring pass in a crucial situation.On the first play of the fourth quarter, Shanahan reached into his bag of tricks for a play that gave the 49ers a 17-16 lead.Moore took an inside handoff from Purdy on what appears to be a jet sweep. Moore pitched the ball back to Jennings, who was moving from left to right. Meanwhile, McCaffrey ran a wheel route out of the backfield, and Eagles safety Reed Blankenship let him go.Jennings lofted a spiral down the field just before defensive tackle Jalen Carter delivered a huge hit (he was flagged for roughing the passer).McCaffrey made an over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone to complete the 29-yard scoring play with 14:52 remaining in the fourth quarter.Jennings was a four-star quarterback at Blackman High in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who converted to wide receiver at the University of Tennessee. His only other NFL pass attempt was a 12-yard scoring pass to McCaffrey against Kansas City for the first touchdown in Super Bowl 58.Kittle’s injury impact in ’26Kittle, who was chosen to his seventh Pro Bowl this season, sustained the kind of injury in the second quarter that could take a chunk out of next season.Kittle immediately was ruled out with a right Achilles injury. Replays clearly showed a rippling of his right calf, which is indicative of a complete tear. As he was carted off the field, Kittle was seen exhorting his teammates.Following the win, Shanahan confirmed to reporters in Philadelphia that Kittle did tear his right Achilles. pic.twitter.com/DfklQSX607 — 49ers on NBCS (&commat;NBCS49ers) January 11, 2026 Kittle missed six games during the regular season with hamstring and ankle injuries. Surgery to repair a torn Achilles generally is considered a recovery that takes from 9 to 12 months.In 11 games this season, Kittle had 57 receptions for 628 yards and seven touchdowns. He ranks No. 2 in 49ers history with 595 receptions after surpassing Terrell Owens (592) late in the season.The 49ers should be in the market for help at tight end in the offseason, perhaps within the first four rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.Tonges is scheduled to be a restricted free agent, and blocking specialist Luke Farrell is signed through the 2027 season.Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

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