| Dates: 7 September 2023 – 7 January 2024 |
| BBC protection: Hearken to dwell commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports activities Further and the BBC Sport web site each Sunday, with San Francisco 49ers v Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday (from 21:00 GMT) |
It is a heavyweight match-up that has been talked about in the identical breath as Rocky Balboa versus Apollo Creed.
During the last two seasons, the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers haven’t solely been two of the NFL’s greatest groups, they’ve develop into the league’s latest rivals.
It started with final season’s NFC Championship sport, when the Eagles beat the 49ers earlier than shedding a Tremendous Bowl traditional to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
San Francisco felt exhausting carried out by, and there was loads of trash speak since, however they’ve the possibility to set the report straight after they go to Philly this Sunday, in week 13 of the common season.
The “thrilling” 49ers and “unstoppable” Eagles are presently the highest two seeds within the NFC Convention so may meet once more in January for a spot in Tremendous Bowl 58.
And given each have the potential to develop into NFL dynasties, their rivalry may quickly match that of Philadelphia’s favorite fictional preventing son and his well-known foe.
From decimated to a dynasty?
San Francisco appear destined to win one other championship after rebuilding a roster that former 49ers participant Joe Staley says was “just about decimated” in 2017, when John Lynch was appointed basic supervisor and Kyle Shanahan head coach.
By way of shrewd draft picks and free agent signings, they’ve turned the five-time Tremendous Bowl winners again into real contenders, reaching three of the final 4 NFC Championship video games and shedding to the Chiefs in Tremendous Bowl 54.
And of their quest to deliver the Lombardi Trophy again to the Bay for the primary time since 1995, the 49ers took their roster to a different degree with mid-season trades for free-scoring operating again Christian McCaffrey final 12 months then defensive finish Chase Younger final month.
“That is the fruits of a variety of exhausting work within the entrance workplace and on the teaching employees,” Staley instructed BBC Sport. “They constructed it the fitting means, and myself, a variety of former gamers and followers take a variety of satisfaction in that.
“This has been a imaginative and prescient of getting sustained success for the franchise, not only a one or two-year window, so it is actually thrilling that it is not solely going to be this season however for years to return.
“The way in which the roster’s been constructed, particularly at key positions, this crew has a lot expertise – offensively and defensively. The opposition has to play their best possible to actually have a likelihood.”
Can the 49ers cease the ‘unstoppable’ play?
In the meantime, a squad with related expertise and depth has been inbuilt Philadelphia, the town of cohesion. The Eagles have additionally developed a play some really feel must be outlawed because it resembles a rugby scrum.
The ‘tush push’ is a variation of a quarterback sneak, the place the QB goals to burrow by the road of scrimmage to realize the yard or two wanted for a landing or first down.
Additionally named the ‘brotherly shove’ in homage to Philadelphia’s mastery of the play, it includes team-mates lining as much as push the quarterback ahead.
It appears straightforward, and different groups have tried to repeat it. However no-one can run it in addition to the Eagles. Two New York Giants gamers have been even injured on a failed try in October.
Talking on BBC Radio 5 Dwell, former NFL defensive finish Jack Crawford joked: “I am glad I do not play any extra due to that play! It must be banned instantly as a result of [quarterback] Jalen Hurts is just too sturdy – he can squat 600lb! Now you have received individuals pushing him from behind. You may’t cease it.”
The play helped Hurts set the report for many speeding touchdowns by a quarterback in a season (18), together with a report three within the Tremendous Bowl.
San Francisco gamers have been requested all week about learn how to cease it. Maybe linebacker Fred Warner has the reply, having jumped over the road of scrimmage to sort out the quarterback when the Minnesota Vikings tried a tush push in October.
The play continues to divide opinion and the NFL will take into account banning it within the low season, however that call shall be based mostly on harm knowledge, not what number of critics name it “boring”.
Eagles ‘randomly’ rated as underdogs
Final season’s NFC Championship sport grew to become a one-sided affair after San Francisco suffered accidents to each their quarterbacks, which led to “a variety of boo-hoos” from the 49ers, mentioned Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick.
Some San Francisco gamers declare they’ve the higher crew, but Philadelphia have the NFL’s greatest report of 10-1 having bounced again from their loss to the New York Jets by grinding out wins over 4 of the league’s high groups – Miami, Dallas, Kansas Metropolis and Buffalo.
The 49ers at the moment are 8-3 having regrouped after three straight defeats in October. Even coach Shanahan mentioned “it’s random” that they’re rated as marginal favourites for the journey to Philly, whereas Eagles coach Nick Sirianni mentioned: “I believe it is OK to be the underdog.”
Sirianni added: “Earlier than I set foot in Philadelphia all I knew about this metropolis was Rocky versus Apollo Creed. The town performs the underdog nicely.”
The Eagles actually have carried out simply that in current historical past; their gamers even wore canine masks throughout their sudden run to the crew’s solitary Tremendous Bowl win, which got here in February 2018. Will Philly quickly be celebrating a 3rd Tremendous Bowl look in seven years?
“That is going to be such a superb sport. I believe whoever wins will make it to the Tremendous Bowl,” NFL pundit Phoebe Schecter mentioned on BBC Radio 5 Dwell.
“Each groups have not been at their biggest however they’re discovering a option to win. But it surely’s the Eagles for me, as a result of they will assault you in so many alternative methods.”
Crawford added: “Within the trenches, their offensive and defensive strains are the most effective within the league. I’ve to go along with the Eagles, they’re simply too sturdy in each place group.”
