SANTA CLARA, Calif. – A few thoughts on the San Francisco 49ers 26-21 defeat of the Philadelphia Eagles:
What it means: The 49ers entered the game having been outscored 52-3 in the second half. The Eagles had dropped 74 points on opponents after halftime. No matter. The Niners reversed roles with the Eagles and outscored them 13-0 in the game’s final 30 minutes. The defense saved the Niners by holding on two plays from their own 1-yard line when Eagles QB Nick Foles misfired on a pair of passes. Before the Eagles went from their own 9-yard line to the Niners’ 1, they had been outgained in total yardage 400-127 and did not cross midfield until there were four minutes to play. How were the Eagles in the game? They became just the second team in NFL history with a punt return, a blocked punt return for a TD and an interception return for a TD in the same game, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Stock watch: Rising -- 49ers defense. It entered the game with only four sacks and three interceptions through three weeks, but the Niners’ D put enough pressure on Eagles QB Nick Foles to force him into bad decisions. The Niners sacked Foles once and picked him off twice in pitching a shutout against the heretofore most explosive offense in the league while limiting the Eagles to 12 yards rushing midway through the fourth quarter, as well as just five first downs.
Penalties, what penalties? As the most penalized team in the NFL, the Niners stayed true to form with 10 for 80 yards. This time, though, they were good enough to overcome their miscues, and the Eagles, who were flagged 10 times for 70 yards, were their own worst enemies.
And the game ball goes to … : Frank Gore. A forgotten man in Arizona the past weekend, when he carried the ball just six times for 10 yards, the 49ers running back regained his throne against the Eagles. Gore rushed for 119 yards -- his first 100-yard rushing game since December -- on 24 carries, and he caught had a 55-yard, broken-play, catch-and-run touchdown for his first touchdown reception since Nov. 25, 2012.
What's next: The 49ers (2-2) play host to the Kansas City Chiefs (1-2), who play at home against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football this week, next Sunday. It will be Chiefs QB Alex Smith’s homecoming, of sorts, as he was the Niners’ No. 1 overall pick in 2005 and started until he was traded to Kansas City following the 2012 season, back when Candlestick Park was the 49ers’ home. The Chiefs have won two straight in the series, in 2006 and 2010.
