Eagles' Jalen Hurts exposed by 49ers? Philadelphia's defensive game strategy was reversed by San Francisco.
Within three weeks of Chase Young joining an already-deep team at the trade deadline, they fired Trevor Lawrence five times, Baker Mayfield four times, and Geno Smith six times.
It seems Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts might need to worry about takedowns this week. Hurts' mindset was precisely what the 49ers desired.
San Francisco went into Philadelphia with a game strategy that discouraged sacks and pass rushing. If performed successfully, it would restrict Hurts in the pocket, limit his ability to escape via the B-gap, and make the Eagles attack one-dimensional by eliminating his run threat.
"Our whole mentality was, we're not trying to set the record on sacks, we're trying to close the pocket, get his eyes on us," 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa said. It was an assignment-focused game.
That was the key to the game—making Jalen focus on the rush rather than downfield.”
If Philadelphia doesn't rebound immediately, its opponents may use it to beat the league's top team. After a 42-19 loss, San Francisco revealed an offensive weakness few had seen.
“That was as grimy as it gets,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said. “Despite winning 42-19, our game plan was effective in crucial moments, especially in the red zone.
It was all about executing and making sure Jalen didn't beat us with his legs down there because they liked to run him in important times.