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With both the Wild Card and Divisional rounds of the NFL playoffs now in the books, football fans are left with four terrific teams still vying for the coveted Lombardi Trophy and the title of Super Bowl champions.
The Philadelphia Eagles are set to host the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday's NFC Conference Championship game. It's a matchup that will send the winner to Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona.
Let's take a look at how the Philadelphia Eagles got to this year's NFC Conference Championship game and why they can defeat the Niners to make the 2023 Super Bowl.
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How Did The Eagles Get Here?
A late-season blip aside, this is a squad that's been dominant throughout 2022. Although they dropped two of their last three regular-season games - with starting quarterback Jalen Hurts sidelined in both the losses - the Eagles still finished the year as the NFC East champions with a 14-3 record, earning the top overall seed in the NFC.
After an opening-round bye, Philly flexed their muscles in a 38-7 beatdown of the New York Giants in the Divisional round of the playoffs. It was a performance that reminded fans just how terrific the Eagles have been this season.
Philadelphia consistently shined under second-year head coach Nick Sirianni this year, excelling on both sides of the football. The Eagles finished the season ranked third in the NFL in Total Offense DVOA and average points per game (28.1), while also grading out sixth in Total Defense DVOA en route to allowing the league's fewest passing yards per game.
Why The Eagles Will Make The Super Bowl
While we'll touch on multiple keys to the Eagles' 2022 success, it feels appropriate to start with Philly signal caller Jalen Hurts. Before going down with an injured shoulder in Week 15, Hurts was a legitimate MVP candidate that displayed the ability to both pick apart teams through the air and destroy them with his legs.
Completing passes at an impressive 66.5% clip, the third-year pro passed for a career-high 3,701 yards this season, despite missing two games and being throttled back in multiple others when his team led by wide margins. Hurts also picked up 760 yards on the ground and led all QBs in the NFL with 13 rushing TDs.
Hurts' growth as a quarterback in his third NFL season has been aided tremendously by a draft-night sign and trade deal that brought A.J. Brown to Philly. The former Tennessee Titan has been worth every penny, as Brown recorded career-highs in receptions and receiving yards in 2022 while tying his career-best in TDs.
Brown's running mate in the Eagles' receiving corps, former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, has performed as advertised since joining the professional ranks. Smith has proven to be a dynamic playmaker with game-breaking ability that topped 100-yards receiving in five games during the regular season.
Philadelphia isn't just all offense, either. The Eagles feature a pair of shutdown corners in Darius Slay and James Bradberry that helped the squad finish the season ranked first in the NFL in Pass Defense DVOA.
While the defensive line did show some lapses at times earlier in the year, the midseason acquisitions of veterans Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh helped sure up the run-stopping unit. Philly finished the regular season ranked fourth in the NFL in total yards allowed per game.
This rugged Eagles defense will have the opportunity to go after rookie Niners quarterback Brock Purdy in front of a rowdy home crowd in Philadelphia this Sunday.
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