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For a game that was played in Melbourne, Austraila, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams Week 1 showdown certainly had ramifications for the Philadelphia Eagles.
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The Eagles are a Super Bowl contender, so are the Rams and 49ers. They are two of the teams that are arguably above them on the NFC hierarchy, at least what the preseason picks claim.
One of the two definitely are — and it’s not the Rams.
This was determined before the 49ers crushed the star-studded Rams in Australia, a Rams team that acquired Trent McDuffie, Myles Garrett, and Jaylen Watson on defense this offseason. Not to mention the high-powered offense with Matthew Stafford and his surrounding cast.
While this was an uninspiring performance by the Rams, this is just one week of the season. The Rams are a team built for December and January, and are expected to make the playoffs. One game in September doesn’t hinder their ultimate goal.
Is this an overreaction towards the 49ers beating the Rams handily? Not at all, but the Eagles version of the NFC hierarchy is just different than what the rest of the conference as to go through.
The Eagles don’t lose to the Rams
No matter how good the Rams have been over the years, they have yet to beat the Eagles under Nick Sirianni. The Eagles are 4-0 under Nick Sirianni when facing Sean McVay — and Matthew Stafford has never beaten the Eagles since he became quarterback of the Rams.
Included in the Eagles wins are an NFC Diviisonal Playoff win over the Rams in the Super Bowl championship season of 2024. The Rams have bene close to beating the Eagles the last two time sthey faced, but a sack by Jalen Carter (playoff) and blocked field goal by Jordan Davis (last year) preserved Philadelphia victories.
Are the Rams better than the Eagles on paper? Yes, but what should be accounted for is how Nick Sirianni is 4-0 against Sean McVay — and this isn’t a one-game trend.
The Eagles stand in the Rams way to the Super Bowl, just based on the head-to-head matchups.
The Eagles struggle against the 49ers
The last game that mattered in which the Eagles played was the NFC Wild Card loss to the 49ers, and Nick Sirianni has struggled against Kyle Shanahan in his coaching career.
The Eagles have beated the 49ers in the NFC Championship game, but that’s their lone win against San Francisco under Sirianni. Philadelphia is 1-3 against San Francisco in the Sirianni era, with the 49ers beating the Eagles in all the matchups at Lincoln Financial Field.
The 49ers just have the Eagles’ number, even though the Eagles do have a playoff win against them. That was also the game Hassan Reddick knocked out Brock Purdy in the first half (and the 49ers didn’t have a quarterback).
Was the 49ers’ win over the Rams in Australia convincing for Week 1? Absolutely, especially since Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay have been dead even in their last eight matchups (4-4). The 49ers have also been to the Super Bowl three times in the McVay era (the Rams have been to two).
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The 49ers are a bigger threat to the Eagles than the Rams are right now. That easily could change.
What is the NFC hierarchy for the Eagles?
The Eagles are a Super Bowl contender, but where to they stand amongst the best teams in the NFC?
This is how they should be viewed heading into the Eagles’ season, with the 49ers blowout win over the Rams and Seahawks win over the Patriots playing a factor.
1. Seahawks — Eagles haven’t beaten the Seahawks since 2008 (never faced Mike Macdonald). Seahawks are defending Super Bowl champions.
2. 49ers — Eagles struggle against the Kyle Shanahan offense and Nick Sirianni is 1-3 all-time against Shanahan. Included is the wild card playoff loss at home last year. The Eagles are also running a variation of the Shanahan offense now.
3. Rams — The Rams do have more talent than the Eagles, but they still have to beat the Eagles. Nick Sirianni is 4-0 against Sean McVay.
4. Eagles — 1 though 4 is really close, and the Eagles have an elite defense. While it’s just one week, an elite defense can shut down the Rams offense and an elite tackle can contain Myles Garrett. The Eagles do have both. The Rams still have more talent on paper, but let’s see what happens in Week 4.
5. Bears — The Bears dismantled the Eagles at home last season, having their way on the ground with 281 yards rushing. This was one of the rare games the Eagles were beaten down physically. While Chicago was the surprise of last season, they need to back it up in year two with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. Odds are they will, but the results need to be proven on the field. The Eagles get their rematch in Week 3– another early-season showdown.
Make sure you bookmark Philadelphia Eagles on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!
Today’s best reads
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- 5 Things We Learned From Nick Sirianni As Eagles Prepare To Play Commanders
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/eagles/onsi as 49ers Are A Bigger Threat To Eagles Super Bowl Hopes Than Rams .
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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 7:14 AM.