49ers take down 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 go on to face their NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks, who received a bye as the No. 1 seed in the NFC this year.

Meanwhile, the Eagles’ season ends in surprising fashion, coming close to the red zone with less than a minute to play in the fourth quarter.

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Like 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 was unable to connect with DeVonta Smith on third-and-11, forcing a season-changing fourth down on the ensuing play. He dropped back, scanned the field and unloaded to tight end Dallas Goedert, the man who had the Eagles’ two touchdowns in this contest.

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

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Before the game-clinching drive, Brock Purdy and the 49ers’ offense had to respond to an Eagles’ field goal that made the score read 19-17 on the Jumbotron at Lincoln Financial Field in favor of the home team. Indeed, Purdy did, going 10 plays and 66 yards to eventually 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, though, as it came off 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 in 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 perfectly for head coach Kyle Shanahan as Purdy returned the ball to Jennings, who then passed it to McCaffrey for the 29-yard touchdown pass. McCaffrey made a beautiful grab over the shoulder to 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 had their fair share of fouls, although the latter appeared in the box. 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, flew all over the field for coordinator Robert Saleh, and it paid off in the end.

Saquon Barkley certainly had a big game on the ground, though, 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, though he had 66 yards on six catches. Demarcus Robinson, the game’s first touchdown scorer, also led the way with 11 yards on six carries for the 49ers.

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

Unfortunately for San Fran, they advance to the next round likely without star tight end George Kittle, whose only catch in this game resulted in what is believed to be a torn Achilles for the 32-year-old. The loss speaks for itself given his leadership qualities and stellar play this year.

With the 49ers’ win, the divisional round is also set in a different location, with the Los Angeles Rams heading to Chicago to face the Bears after their comeback win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.