San Francisco 49ers v. Philadelphia Eagles: Q & A With Inside The Iggles
The San Francisco 49ers head to Philadelphia in a Week 8 match-up against the Eagles. After a horrendous loss last week, can the 49ers bounce back?
The San Francisco 49ers (0-7) are coming off a horrendous 40-10 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys. They now head to Philadelphia to face the 6-1a Eagles who are riding a five-game winning streak.
This game will mark another tough opponent for 49ers rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard, whose struggling offensive line will have to try and contain a ferocious Eagles pass rush.
We were able to sit down for a Q&A session Inside the Iggles, to preview the game, so a huge thanks to them!
Q: With the absence of star tackle Jason Peters, how does his backup fare against San Francisco’s young defensive line led by DeForest Buckner?
A: Inside the Iggles: “The absence of Peters will definitely be felt this week during the first couple of drives.
He will be replaced by second-year veteran Halapoulivaati Vaitai. There were originally rumors of moving right tackle Lane Johnson to the left, but the Eagles have decided it is best to just plug Vaitai in there.
Although Vaitai has held his own before, he always seems to get a slow start. He started two weeks ago against the Panthers when Johnson was out with a concussion and Carson Wentz was getting pressured almost immediately on the first drive.
As the game goes on though, Vaitai starts to settle down and hold his own. Last season, he started in six of the seven games that he played in as a rookie. Surprisingly, he did a nice job for the most part.
As time goes on, Vaitai becomes a solid blocker. He did a nice job taking over for Peters in the second half last Monday against Ryan Kerrigan. The 49ers’ line may be able to get pressure, but I can’t see them getting too many sacks on Wentz.
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If they do happen to get a lot of pressure, it will most likely be within the first couple of series. After that, it probably won’t seem like too much of a difference.”
The 49ers have 14 sacks this season which is tied for 20th most in the league. In general this season, the 49ers have been inconsistent in getting to the quarterback.
Q: Which Eagles offensive player will provide the best matchup against a 49ers defender?
A: Inside the Iggles: “The simple answer here is Alshon Jeffery on which ever cornerback is assigned to cover him on that play. Whether its Rashard Robinson or Dontae Johnson, they will have their hands full.
Now, I know Jeffery’s numbers haven’t been impressive on paper, but his talent has drawn a ton of attention from defensive backs. It’s doubtful that the 49ers have someone shadow Jeffery the entire game, but the trend of the Eagles opponents seems to be double-teaming him.
Again, I think the Eagles will try to run the ball as much as possible but if they are forced to throw, I expect Jeffery to be the guy that opens things up for the rest of the offense. Jeffery’s matchups have drawn enough attention to open up plays for other weapons in the passing game.”
The weapons that Wentz can throw to easily outmatch this young secondary of San Francisco, who allow 258.6 pass yards per game, which is 25th most in the league.
Q: Torrey Smith only has one catch in the past two weeks. Do you expect him to have a big game against his former team, who is also struggling containing the pass?
A: Inside the Iggles: “It’s always interesting to see a player go against his former team, especially a wide receiver. It seems like most of the time the receiver has a big day because they play it as a revenge game.
I don’t see that being the case here with Torrey Smith. Although he still has some gas left in the tank, he is just simply out of his prime. The Eagles knew that when they signed him in the offseason.
He is here to stretch the field and be a veteran leader. The chances of him going off are very slim. The 49ers will have to be more concerned with Jeffery, Zach Ertz and Nelson Agholor in the passing game.”
Q: Predictions! Final Score? Yards, TDS and Picks for Wentz? Who leads the Eagles in tackles?
A: Inside the Iggles: Score: Eagles win 38-10.
“Wentz will throw for 270 yards, 3 TD’s and 0 INT’s.OLB Nigel Bradham will continue to lead the Eagles in tackles on Sunday. He has been playing very solid defense over the last few weeks and with the absence of Jordan Hicks, he will have to step it up once again.
The loss of Hicks will take a hit on the defense, but I don’t think this will be the week it gets exposed.”
On 49ers’ side, expect another blowout with a final score of 45-13. Beathard will throw for 255 yards, one touchdown, and one pick. Expect Jaquiski Tartt to lead the 49ers in tackles, with at least eight.