49ers’ trick play ends Eagles’ reign
PHILADELPHIA—Jauan Jennings hid his eyes behind sunglasses, but could not hide his emotions with the San Francisco 49ers set to play an NFC postseason rubber match in Seattle.
The 49ers wideout-turned-backup quarterback slammed his fists on the table and essentially told the Seahawks to bring it on. He leaned into the microphone and yelled, “CAN’T WAIT!” before he walked off with a knowing smile that perhaps the best in San Francisco was yet to come.
The 49ers are in for a playoff treat, thanks in large part to a pretty neat trick pulled off by Jennings.
Brock Purdy threw a go-ahead 4-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey late in the fourth quarter, San Francisco used a trick play on a TD toss from Jennings to McCaffrey and the 49ers eliminated the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles with a 23-19 wild-card victory on Sunday.
“We went to the Super Bowl,” Jennings said. “So, we’ve got to top that.”
Maybe if the Eagles watched that 49ers’ Super Bowl loss to Kansas City after the 2023 season, they wouldn’t have been so caught by surprise by the play. A former high school quarterback, Jennings threw a TD pass on a similar play in the Super Bowl and this one to McCaffrey put him on a list with Purdy, Joe Montana and Steve Young as 49ers QBs who have thrown for multiple career touchdowns in the postseason.
How’s that for heady company?
The play was called “Skyy Bang reverse pass”—in honor of wide receiver Skyy Moore—and the double reverse was suggested by offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak.
“It was a hell of a suggestion,” coach Kyle Shanahan said.
The not-so Philly special was quite a way to put a dagger in the Super Bowl champs’ season.
The 49ers head to top-seeded Seattle next weekend for an NFC divisional playoff game. The NFC West rivals split the season series. BetMGM put the Seahawks as early 6 1/2-point favorites.
Purdy threw for 262 yards and secured the road win in Philadelphia, a feat he had failed to accomplish three seasons ago when he was injured in a dismal outing in the NFC title game, resulting in a loss.
Over-the-shoulder catch
Purdy had two passes intercepted in this one by All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, but the Eagles scored just three points off the turnovers.
The 49ers could head to Seattle without star tight end George Kittle, who was carted off the field with a right Achilles tendon injury late in the first half.
The Eagles—who won a Super Bowl on a trick play—were foiled by one when Jennings was pitched the ball and rolled right and hit McCaffrey for an over-the-shoulder catch and a 29-yard touchdown. The score on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the 49ers a 17-16 lead.
“I looked up, the ball’s in the air and Christian tracked it,” Purdy said. ”It was wobbling in the wind. The fact that Christian caught it over his shoulder, dude, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’”
Jennings had 66 yards receiving and 48 rushing in addition to his TD pass.
“JJ thinks he can make every play known to man,” Shanahan said.
