Breaking it down: Are the 49ers better off facing the Vikings, Seahawks or Eagles?
The 49ers will play one of three opponents when they host their first playoff game at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday Jan. 11: the No. 5 seed Seattle Seahawks, No. 4 seed Philadelphia Eagles or No. 6 seed Minnesota Vikings.
San Francisco will know following Sunday’s NFC Wild Card games. They’ll play the lowest remaining seed, meaning they’d take on the Vikings if they upset the New Orleans Saints. If the Vikings lose, they’ll play the winner of the game in Philadelphia between the Seahawks and Eagles, which is the most likely scenario.
So let’s take a quick glance at each possible opponent ahead of Wild Card weekend.
Seattle Seahawks (11-5)
The Week 17 victory over Seattle created a unique scenario in which the 49ers may have to play their division rival in consecutive games. It’s also fitting that their last postseason game, way back in January 2014, was also against the Seahawks. But the venue will change from CenturyLink Field to Levi’s Stadium, where Seattle beat San Francisco in overtime to cap a Monday night thriller, 27-24, way back in November.
The Seahawks are the least favorable matchup for the 49ers in the Wild Card game. Not only do they have a better record that Minnesota and Philadelphia, but a case could be made they have the best quarterback in the conference in Russell Wilson. And their familiarity with their division rivals should help with a short week to prepare.
Wilson is expected to finish second in MVP voting behind Lamar Jackson. And the 49ers know why. Wilson nearly carved them up to four straight touchdown drives in the second half of the recent game in Seattle. It took rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw’s tackle of Jacob Hollister inches short of the goal line with 9 seconds remaining to give San Francisco the all-important win.
Wilson aside, Seattle hasn’t been particularly impressive this season. Its plus-7 point differential was the worst among all playoff teams and worse than three NFC teams that failed to make the postseason. The once-vaunted defense finished ranked 26th in yardage and 22nd in scoring, while Wilson has mostly carried the team on his back to an impressive 11-win campaign, hence the MVP consideration.
Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)
The Eagles limped into the postseason, literally, after winning a key game against the Cowboys in Week 16 that allowed them in with the worst record of division winner.
The team has a slew of key players on injured reserve, including receivers Alshon Jeffery (foot), DeSean Jackson (core), standout right guard Brandon Brooks (shoulder), high-priced defensive tackle Malik Jackson (foot) and top cornerback Ronald Darby (hip). DeSean Jackson may return for the divisional round off injured reserve should the Eagles win.
Additionally, receiver Nelson Agholor (knee) has already been ruled out for the Seahawks game. Former All-Pro tackle Lane Johnson (ankle) is questionable and tight end Zach Ertz, their top pass catcher, is dealing with rib and back issues.
Quarterback Carson Wentz will be making his postseason debut after helping the Eagles win their final four regular season games to get into the tournament. Wentz averaged a paltry 6.7 yards per pass attempt this season, signaling how important the injuries were to their slew of receivers.
The Eagles came into the year believing Jackson would be a key component given his game-breaking speed as a deep ball threat, but there’s been no backup plan since he sustained his injury during the third game of the season, while Jeffery’s injury compounded the team’s issues in the passing game.
Defense was the Eagles’ strength throughout the season. They allowed opponents to score on 33.5 percent of possessions, the eighth-best mark in the league. They went 5-3 at home, which included a loss to the Seahawks on Nov. 24.
Minnesota Vikings (10-6)
Minnesota is a well-rounded team with a strong defense and productive rushing attack. The Vikings are particularly effective when they get good performance from quarterback Kirk Cousins, who in 2018 signed a groundbreaking fully guaranteed contract worth $84 million over three seasons.
Cousins was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL in 2019. His 107.4 passer rating ranked fourth. His completion percentage (69.1) matched Jimmy Garoppolo for fourth. But Cousins had just six interceptions to Garoppolo’s 13.
The story line surrounding this game would be interesting given Cousins’ connection to Kyle Shanahan. There’s a belief Shanahan was targeting Cousins in free agency following his first season before the Patriots dropped the Garoppolo trade offer in San Francisco’s lap. (Additionally, Cousins’ looming availability may have led the 49ers to draft defensive lineman Solomon Thomas in 2017 instead of finding a franchise quarterback like Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson.)
Garoppolo opened the 2018 season with a loss in Minnesota against Cousins and the Vikings two weeks before tearing his ACL. He completed just 15 of 33 for 261 yards and three interceptions, one of which was a pick six. His 45.45 passer rating is the worst of his 26 career starts.
Linebacker Eric Kendricks was the only Viking named a First Team All-Pro, though the team had three Pro Bowlers: running back Dalvin Cook, defensive end Danielle Hunter and safety Harrison Smith. Hunter recorded his second straight 14.5-sack season.
Cook had been the engine of the offense before missing the final two games of the season with a shoulder injury, which were both divisional losses to the Packers and Bears. But he’s expected to play against New Orleans. Cook had 1,135 rushing yards and scored 13 rushing touchdowns, the third most in the NFL.
This story was originally published January 4, 2020 at 4:00 AM.