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Studs and Duds: The next-man-up 49ers beat the Eagles with depth early, stars late

**San Francisco 49ers Advance with Gritty 23-19 Win Over Eagles in Wild Playoff Battle**

Postseason football is defined by grit and narrow margins, and the San Francisco 49ers thrived in that intense environment. On Sunday, they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 23-19 at a raucous Lincoln Financial Field, advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Despite entering the game as the No. 6 seed in the NFC, enduring a hostile crowd, and suffering a tough Achilles tendon injury to star tight end George Kittle, Kyle Shanahan’s squad refused to back down.

Up next: a rematch with the Seattle Seahawks.

Here’s a look at the studs and duds from a thrilling contest that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

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### STUDS 💪

**Demarcus Robinson, WR**
In a season filled with surprises, Robinson—who has struggled in man-to-man coverage this year—was a revelation for the 49ers. On only the second play, he beat arguably the best cornerback in the NFC, Quinyon Mitchell, in man-to-man coverage to score a 63-yard touchdown. He followed that up with another man-to-man touchdown catch and finished as San Francisco’s top target with 6 receptions for 111 yards.

**Brock Purdy, QB**
Purdy mixed in some precise, layered passes in a game where the 49ers struggled to run the ball effectively until late. Despite tossing two interceptions, Purdy was clearly the superior quarterback on the field and the driving force behind the victory. He ended the day with 262 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 24 crucial rushing yards.

**Jauan Jennings, WR**
Stepping up as the de facto tight end after Kittle’s injury, Jennings made a critical 45-yard reception in the run game. He also showcased his versatility by throwing a beautiful 29-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey to give the 49ers a 17-16 lead late in the fourth quarter. Jennings proved he’s a hell of a football player.

**Christian McCaffrey, RB**
Though it took some time, McCaffrey saved his best for the final moments. He showed impressive burst running late in the game, caught a remarkable touchdown pass off Jennings’ throw despite windy conditions, and then hauled in the game-winning touchdown with just five minutes remaining.

**Upton Stout, NB**
San Francisco’s best defender over the past month-plus, Stout continued his strong performance on Sunday. He reached a point where the Eagles simply stopped testing him, a testament to his impact.

**Marquese Sigle, FS**
Sigle’s absence in the second half of the season has been a mystery, but when called into action Sunday due to Ji’Ayir Brown’s injury, he was exceptional both in pass coverage and run support.

**Eric Kendricks & Garret Wallow, LBs**
In a bold move, the 49ers started two linebackers recently added to the roster in a playoff game—and both delivered. Kendricks, in particular, was fantastic and made a pivotal game-winning pass breakup.

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### DUDS 📉

**Kendrick Bourne, WR**
It’s Week 19 of the season, so why is Bourne still unfamiliar with the plays? This weekly issue proved costly on Sunday when he lined up incorrectly during a two-minute drill, forcing the 49ers to burn their third timeout in the first half. If they had that timeout, they might have kicked a field goal before halftime.

**Deommodore Lenoir, CB**
In a departure from their usual strategy, the 49ers placed Lenoir on the boundary side of the field (short side), rather than his customary right side. The Eagles exploited this matchup relentlessly, and Lenoir gave up yards early and often.

**Colton McKivitz, RT**
San Francisco’s most reliable offensive lineman this season was overmatched by Jaelen Phillips. Though Purdy did well to evade pressure from the right side, McKivitz faced constant harassment.

**All 49ers Defensive Tackles (except C.J. West)**
Philadelphia’s offense features a one-read quarterback with limited arm strength, but their power running game overwhelmed the 49ers’ defensive tackles. The Eagles effectively deployed double teams and wham blocks, neutralizing San Francisco’s interior defense.

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The 49ers showed heart, resilience, and adaptability in a tough road environment, overcoming adversity to keep their playoff hopes alive. Fans can expect another fierce showdown when they face the Seahawks in the next round.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2026/01/11/studs-and-duds-the-next-man-up-49ers-beat-the-eagles-with-depth-early-stars-late/

NFL Insider Says Changes are Coming to Miami Dolphins

One of the bigger topics in the NFL this year that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon is the mess that is the Miami Dolphins. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and head coach Mike McDaniel have become a headlining duo on what some are calling the “Tua Wrongs Don’t Make a Right” tour—playing out on the 2025 Test Stephen’s Patience Tour. You should see the t-shirts.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport weighed in on the Dolphins’ job-security situation yesterday on YouTube with a take that pretty much everyone could expect. It’s fine—it’s not rocket science with the Dolphins right now—we all know the days of McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier are numbered.

“(The Miami Dolphins) are going to roll forward with what they have, hoping the results are different,” Rapoport said, highlighting the true insanity of Dolphins’ ownership. “I think one thing that the past week’s events has showed us is that change is coming to the Dolphins. Obviously, (Mike) McDaniel is someone that Stephen Ross really likes and respects. He supported him, he chose him, he has invested in him with a big-time contract extension. He does not want to fire him. The results, though, have to change.”

The reality? They won’t.

### Change Is Coming to the Miami Dolphins Organization

There must be a method to owner Stephen Ross’s line of thinking. With a failing head coach and a quarterback who, in all likelihood, needs a fresh start elsewhere, Ross could be thinking that McDaniel is still the guy to lead this ship—at least down the super-high-draft-pick road. In this view, they could draft a suitable replacement for the aforementioned signal-caller who needs to go.

Whether or not that’s actually the case, no one really knows. But Rapoport insists that change is coming one way or another.

“And I think because of the ugly losses, because of Tua Tagovailoa throwing teammates under the bus and then recanting and walking all of that back,” Rapoport continues, “it has forced the entire nation to look at the Miami Dolphins and say, ‘What are they gonna do?’ So the Dolphins are going to get back to work this week with the hopes that the results are different, but I can pretty confidently say change is coming to the organization. It’s just a matter of how and when.”

### Former Player: Dolphins’ Regime Has to End

Rapoport isn’t alone in calling for changes in Miami. Former Dolphins guard Richie Incognito weighed in, calling the entire situation a disaster.

“I hate the whole situation they have brewing down there,” Incognito said. “This is a dumpster fire, and you have McDaniel and Tua throwing bags of gasoline into the dumpster fire.”

Incognito didn’t hold back in his criticism of leadership within the organization.

“We look at this guy on TV, I do not see a leader of men. When I’m going out there on Sunday, and I want to rip someone’s head off, I’m not getting fired up by this guy’s (McDaniel’s) pregame speech.”

He also pointed the finger squarely at Tua.

“Tua, last week, was talking about guys being late and he’s talking about leadership. Well, the leadership starts and ends with Tua because you’re the franchise quarterback. Everyone was taking sides on ‘Was he pointing fingers at the locker room?’ I think when he said ‘leadership,’ he was pointing the finger at Mike McDaniel.”

Incognito sees deeper issues beneath the surface.

“When you have people constantly late in a professional sports organization, that shows fractures. That shows favoritism. That, to me, is the biggest flaw in this entire operation.”

### What’s Next for the Dolphins?

One can only wonder if there are office pools in South Florida taking bets on when the hammer finally falls. Does McDaniel get fired before Tua actually gets benched? When will Grier have to turn in his playbook? Are parlays available?

As the Dolphins continue to stumble, one thing is clear: change is inevitable. The only question left is how soon it will come—and how deep the overhaul will be.
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/mike-mcdaniel-tua-tagovailoa-stephen-ross-ian-rapoport/

Saints activate Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau ahead of Sunday’s game against the Giants

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have moved versatile quarterback Taysom Hill and tight end Foster Moreau from the team’s Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to the active roster ahead of Sunday’s home game against the New York Giants.

The roster moves, announced Saturday, increase the likelihood that both players, who are recovering from major knee injuries sustained late last season, could make their 2025 debuts for the winless Saints (0-4) against the Giants (1-3).

Hill, who had been listed as a tight end over the past two seasons, had his designation changed back to quarterback last week—the position he began his NFL career playing as a backup in 2017 after starring at BYU in college.

Saints first-year coach Kellen Moore has emphasized that Hill will continue to play a versatile role on offense and special teams, just as he has in previous seasons. Hill is expected to contribute in various positions, potentially lining up as a tight end, running back, or receiver, as well as regularly participating on the punt and punt coverage units.

Despite these changes, Spencer Rattler, who has lost all 10 of his career NFL starts (six as a rookie last season), will remain the starting quarterback.

Foster Moreau, who was injured late in the fourth quarter of the Saints’ 2024 regular-season finale, had a solid previous season with 32 catches for 413 yards and a team-high five touchdown receptions.

In other roster moves, the Saints elevated linebacker Eku Leota from the practice squad to the active roster, placed wide receiver Trey Palmer on injured reserve, and waived rookie tight end Moliki Matavao. Additionally, defensive tackle John Ridgeway III was downgraded to out for Sunday’s game.

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AP NFL
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/nfl/2025/10/04/saints-activate-taysom-hill-and-foster-moreau-ahead-of-sundays-game-against-the-giants