The Philadelphia Eagles were the biggest surprise in the NFL in Week 1, beating the Atlanta Falcons by 26 points on the road in an impressive debut from Nick Sirianni as head coach. Jalen Hurts finished 27 of 35 for 364 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in that blowout victory, while also rushing for 62 yards. Hurts’ performance grasped how the Eagles have rallied around Sirianni, which the San Francisco 49ers have noticed as they head to Lincoln Financial Field for a Week 2 showdown.
“I really like how he’s carrying himself and you can tell his team’s playing real hard and they looked real well-coached in their first week,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said earlier this week. “I know some players who know him and they speak very highly of him.”
San Francisco dominated the Detroit Lions through three quarters and took a 41-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but held off a frantic Lions rally late to win 41-33. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 314 yards in the win, as the 49ers improved to 6-0 in games he throws for 300 yards. Rookie Eli Mitchell had an impressive debut, recording 19 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown. With Raheem Mostert out for the season (knee), Mitchell figures to be a key piece of the 49ers backfield going forward.
Here’s a preview of the 49ers-Eagles Week 2 matchup, a battle between two of the 1-0 teams in the league:
How to watch
Date: Sunday, Sept. 19 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
TV: Fox | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Eagles +3, O/U 49.5
Key matchups
DeVonta Smith vs. Deommodore Lenoir
Smith and Lenoir had quite the debut for their respective teams. The Eagles top wide receiver finished with six catches for 71 yards and a touchdown, tying DeSean Jackson for the most catches in franchise history for a player in his first-career game. He’s the first player in Eagles history to record five catches and a touchdown in his first-career game.
Lenoir stepped up for the 49ers when they needed him most, as the rookie was targeted just three times in 69 coverage snaps, allowing just one catch for 3 yards (42.4 rating). The 49ers are expected to start Lenoir, a 2021 fifth-round pick, with Jason Verrett lost for the season (knee) and Emmanuel Moseley still nursing a knee injury and his status uncertain for Sunday.
Smith is expected to match up with Lenoir quite a bit with the 49ers cornerbacks banged up. San Francisco signed Dre Kirkpatrick this week and Josh Norman is expected to see playing time with Moseley uncertain for Sunday. This is a matchup that should favor Smith, arguably the best wide receiver Lenoir has faced in his short career.
Jordan Mailata vs. Nick Bosa
Anybody Mailata faces on the 49ers front is going to be a challenge, but Bosa is on another level. Now healthy, Bosa finished with a sack, two quarterback hits, and five pressures in 40 pass-rush snaps in Sunday’s win over the Lions — impressive numbers primarily lining up against rookie Penei Sewell.
Mailata is a bit more experienced than Sewell (but not by much), and will get his first opportunity to showcase why the Eagles gave him $64 million over the next four years. Mailata allowed just two pressures in 41 pass-blocking snaps (both hurries) and didn’t allow a sack in the win over the Falcons. If Mailata can find a way to contain Bosa on the edge and not allow him to consistently get to Hurts, the Eagles have an opportunity to move the ball through the air.
Bosa also had four run stops in 10 attempts, a very impressive number. Mailata is already a strong run blocker — and will be needed to come up large again if the Eagles wish to run the ball against a dominant 49ers front.
Prediction
Latest Odds:
Philadelphia Eagles
+3
Caesars Sportsbook has the 49ers as 3-point favorites on the road with an Over/Under of 49.5. The Eagles are excellent in the trenches on the offensive and defensive lines, but so are the 49ers. San Francisco may have only played Detroit, but the 49ers offensive line allowed the fewest pressures among any team in Week 1 (six) and the defense recorded the most pressures in the league (23).
The Eagles present a challenge with their quick passes and bubble screens, but it would be wise to challenge a 49ers cornerback group that is banged up. For San Francisco, it’s imperative Bosa and Dee Ford get to the quarterback — especially if Javon Kinlaw and Arik Armstead are out.
This just seems like a good week for the Eagles to play the 49ers, but San Francisco is going to run the ball consistently against a Philadelphia defense that struggled to stop the run and make tackles last week. Look for the 49ers to use the run to control the clock and drive down the field, setting up Garoppolo to give the ball to all his weapons in the pass game.
This game is tough to bet on with the Over/Under total, but the 49ers could cover if the offensive line blocks as well as it did last week.
Prediction: 49ers 26, Eagles 20
Check out CBSSports.com for even more predictions on this game and the rest of Week 2.
