There may not be a better illustration of the stakes in the 49ers and Eagles Week 13 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field than where both teams sit in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings.
Philadelphia is still sitting atop the rankings where they’ve been since Week 7. They’ve climbed to that spot by outlasting teams like the 49ers, Chiefs and Cowboys. While other clubs have slipped up, the Eagles have managed to grind out wins to sit at 10-1 after 12 weeks.
Just behind them at No. 2 are the San Francisco 49ers. USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis, who authors the power rankings, never dropped the 49ers very far during their three-game losing skid, but they’ve quickly climbed back up to No. 2 after a brief flirtation with falling out of the top five.
The Eagles are the 49ers’ biggest obstacle at this point. They kept the 49ers out of the Super Bowl last year, and now San Francisco making the Super Bowl this year may come down to whether they can snag the No. 1 seed away from Philadelphia. To do that they’ll need a victory Sunday, and then some help after that.
This entire season though has felt like a crash course to an NFC championship rematch between the Eagles and 49ers. They’re the two best teams in the NFL through 12 weeks and Sunday’s game will go a long way toward determining which team would have homefield advantage should they meet up again in the NFC title game.
