Free Pick: San Francisco at Philadelphia 9/19/21

San Francisco went into Detroit and took care of business against the Lions. For the 2nd week in a row they come east and this time they head to Philly to play surprising Philadelphia. The Eagles were impressive in the opener as they went into Atlanta and throttled the Falcons 32-6. They have a chance to start off 2-0 in the NFC Least and that would be a shocker. However, the Niners will provide a much tougher test than what they faced last week. Let’s break it down.

Offense: The Niners jumped out to a 38-10 in Detroit and let off the gas somewhat and coasted to the finish line. Quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo completed 17 out of 25 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown and rookie running back, Elijah Mitchell carried 19 times for 104 yards, to show a lot of balance on this side of the ball. Wide receiver, Deebo Samuel caught 9 passes for 189 yards, and tight end, George Kittle added 4 catches for 78 yards. They will be hard for the Eagles to handle. Philadelphia was very impressive and quarterback, Jalen Hurts was the catalyst. He passed for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns and had 7 carries for 62 yards to cap off a great start. Miles Sanders chipped in 74 yards on 15 carries. Rookie receiver, DeVonta Smith had 6 catches for 71 yards and a touchdown in his first start. Advantage: San Francisco

Defense: The 49ers defense let up in the 4th quarter and let the Lions pile up a lot yards late. They gave up 338 yards through the air but the pass rush did come up with 3 sacks which is encouraging. Fred Warner led the way with 11 tackles and fellow linebacker, Azeez Al-Shaair chipped in with 7. Nick Bosa came back from last year’s injury and had 4 tackles and a sack, and showed that he is healthy. There is some concern with the defense as they allowed the Lions a lot of yards. It will be interesting to see how they play this week, especially since starting cornerback, Jason Verrett, is out with an injury. The Eagles defense was led in tackles by Avonte Maddox and Eric Wilson who had 9 tackles each. Defensive tackle, Javon Hargrave had 6 tackles and 2 sacks. They held Atlanta to 288 total yards and were impressive, but this week will be a lot tougher. Advantage: San Francisco

San Francisco can start off 2-0 with a win this week. And both of the wins would come on the road as an added bonus. They have the better team on paper, but games aren’t won on paper. Philadelphia played really well in game 1 and Jalen Hurts was fabulous. If they win this one, they definitely will be the surprise team of the young season. The 49ers are a 3.5 point favorite.

DUDES WHO BET SPORTS PICK: San Francisco -3.5