Hurts, Eagles soar into Super Bowl, rout 49ers for NFC title
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts had one of Philadelphia’s four rushing touchdowns and the Eagles soared into the Super Bowl, forcing both of San Francisco’s quarterbacks out of the game with injuries and beating the wounded 49ers 31-7 in the NFC championship game on Sunday.
The Eagles, who won the Super Bowl five years ago with a different coach and quarterback, will try to do it again behind the formidable duo of Hurts and coach Nick Sirianni. Philadelphia will play either the Cincinnati Bengals or former Eagles coach Andy Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs.
Miles Sanders ran for two touchdowns and linebacker Haason Redick made the hit that forced 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy out of the game with an elbow injury. Redick also recovered a fumble by Purdy’s replacement, Josh Johnson, who later suffered a concussion.
That forced Purdy back into the game, but his injury was clearly a factor as the 49ers all but gave up on throwing the ball, even while trailing by multiple scores.
San Francisco’s bad luck at quarterback was finally too much to overcome as its 12-game win streak ended. The Niners lost both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo to season-ending injuries, and Purdy — the final pick in April’s draft — lost as a starter for the first time.
Philadelphia police greased traffic and light poles in what has often proved a futile attempt to slow the revelry ahead. But a city that has been starved for a championship now has its beloved Birds in the Super Bowl just three months after the Philadelphia Phillies reached the World Series.
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