49ers beat Eagles behind Christian McCaffrey’s 2 touchdowns

The San Francisco 49ers got the job done on the road, upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, 23-19, in the Wild Card round to advance to the playoffs.

The 49ers will next face their NFC West rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, who earned a bye as the NFC’s No. 1 seed this year.

Meanwhile, the Eagles’ season ends in surprising fashion, and they move closer to the red zone with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter.

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Just like in the Wild Card games before theirs, the Eagles and 49ers came down to the wire, and it looked like whoever had the last possession was going to take it home.

But Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts failed to connect with DeVonta Smith on third-and-11, forcing a season-altering fourth down on the ensuing play. He backed up, scanned the field and unloaded to tight end Dallas Goedert, the man who scored both of the Eagles’ touchdowns in this contest.

However, 49ers linebacker Eric Kendricks read the play perfectly, jumping the route and hitting it incomplete with 43 seconds left to seal the victory for San Francisco.

EAGLES’ NICK SIRIANNI AND AJ BROWN YELL AT EACH OTHER ON THE SCORELINE DURING WILD CARD ROUND AGAINST THE 49ERS

Before that decisive drive, Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense had to respond to the Eagles’ field goal that made the score 19-17 on the Jumbotron at Lincoln Financial Field in favor of the home team. Purdy did indeed do that, going 10 plays and 66 yards to finally find Christian McCaffrey on third-and-goal for his second score of the game to take a 23-19 lead after Eddy Pineiro missed the extra point.

It wasn’t McCaffrey’s most impressive touchdown of the game, however, as it came from the arm of wide receiver Jauan Jennings instead of Purdy earlier in the fourth quarter.

Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after his team’s touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The trick play worked out perfectly for head coach Kyle Shanahan, as Purdy returned the ball to Jennings, who then threw it to McCaffrey for the 29-yard touchdown pass. McCaffrey made a nice over-the-shoulder catch for the man who also threw a pass in the 49ers’ Super Bowl just a few seasons ago.

This game was a defensive battle on both sides, as Hurts and Purdy made their share of errors, although the latter’s showed up in the box score. Purdy threw two interceptions, both to first-team All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

But this group of 49ers, some of whom played limited snaps during the regular season, were flying all over the field for coordinator Robert Saleh, and it ultimately paid off.

Saquon Barkley definitely had a big game on the ground, with 106 yards on 26 carries. But Hurts had just 14 rushing yards on five attempts.

Meanwhile, McCaffrey was held to just 48 yards on 15 carries, although he totaled 66 yards on six catches. Additionally, Demarcus Robinson, the game’s first touchdown scorer, led the way with 11 yards on six catches for the 49ers.

Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass during the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

Unfortunately for San Francisco, they likely advance to the next round without star tight end George Kittle, whose lone catch in this game resulted in what is believed to be a torn Achilles tendon for the 32-year-old. The loss goes without saying given his leadership qualities and exceptional play this year.

With the 49ers winning, the divisional round also moves elsewhere, with the Los Angeles Rams heading to Chicago to face the Bears following their comeback win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.