The main question on Sunday was whether the Eagles were better off with the Cowboys or the 49ers. In the end, that did not matter. The Birds would have had to play the winner, regardless.

Still, Dallas would have probably been a better matchup, and the Eagles would have been able to beat them.

San Francisco is just a very, very good (and complete) team. The Niners are a scary and dominant team.

But so are the Eagles.

Still, Sunday’s NFC Championship game will definitely not be an easy win for the Eagles, and here’s why the Niners present a difficult task

The Niners’ defense is solid, and made Dak Prescott look very uncomfortable in their win Sunday. They held the Cowboys’ offense to just 12 points, which was their third-lowest score of the season. Dallas’ defense has been good, but the 49ers’ is much better. That showed Sunday, and really all season. San Fan has been a hard team to score on.

The Niners’ defense is going to be a tough challenge.

The Niners also have an explosive offense with talents like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey, who is a better running back than Ezekiel Elliott. I could even argue Samuel and Aiyuk are a better wide receiver corps than Dallas, mainly because is Samuel’s dual-threat abilities.

I could even argue Brock Purdy, who is not even 10 games into his career, is more of a threat right now than Prescott. And speaking of Purdy, why is he so doing so well? I’m waiting for the rookie mistakes, but he is remaining calm and can make plays. Sure, having McCaffrey helps out, but you still have to give the young quarterback credit. 

I would have rather had Dallas.

However, like in the Super Bowl season when I wanted to play the Jaguars instead of the Patriots, to be the best you have to beat the best.

The 49ers have won 12 consecutive games and . The 49ers reached the conference title game for the third time in four seasons. The team is on a hot streak right now, and to cool them down will be difficult… but not impossible

The Eagles will be home, which is a huge advantage right now. Well, that’s a given. But it’s bigger than just having “home-field advantage.” The Eagles are going up against a rookie quarterback who has yet to play a road playoff game. This is where not only the loud fans can make a difference, but also Jonathan Gannon’s unit.

The defense needs to attack Purdy, and early. Get him rattled. Bring the pressure. Force him to throw picks. That’s the biggest key to this game. Pressure Purdy! Everything else will fall into place. The Eagles’ run defense has been fine this season. McCaffrey will be difficult to stop, but he can’t do it all.

Purdy will have to step back and throw, and that is when the defense attacks. And the defense will step up greatly, and help the Eagles (hopefully) reach the Super Bowl.

As Nick Sirianni told Angelo Cataldi on WIP on Monday, the unit is first in pressure rate, yards per play, passing defense, yards per pass attempt and tackles for loss, second in total defense, third in games allowing 17 or fewer points, opponent passer rating, and quarterback hits and fourth in takeaways and interceptions.

The Eagles’ defense should be fine.

On the other side, the offense was third in total offense (389.1 yards) and fifth in rushing (147.6) during the regular season. Against the Giants, the Eagles had 416 total yards of offense, including 268 rushing. With Jalen Hurts at the helm, there shouldn’t be any concern about the offense.

I don’t think they will get off to a big lead. Again, the Niners’ defense is too good. During the regular season, San Fran led the NFL in total defense (300.6 yards allowed) and scoring defense (16.3 points) and ranked second against the run (77.7 yards).

So, the Eagles need to be ready. I think they will be, but it’s definitely not going to be easy. Yea, Eagles are a three-point favorite as of Tuesday, but the 49ers are a no joke.

I just wish it was Sunday already, but sadly we still have a long week of waiting. But when Sunday comes around, I expect a tight contest that could go down to who has possession last.

It will be a fun and competitive game, but the Eagles have the talent to win. They have the heart to win, and the game is at their house. The Eagles have the advantage, and they should be able to take it.