The Philadelphia Eagles' ferocious pass rush made all the difference in their 31-7 NFC Championship win on Sunday, knocking 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy out of the game early and all but sealing a conference title for The City of Brotherly Love.
But before Haason Reddick's strip sack of Purdy in the first quarter, which injured the rookie's right elbow, the Eagles' star pass rusher had the opposite of love on his mind as he saw 49ers tight end Tyler Kroft was the only thing standing between him and the quarterback.
“Oh man,” Reddick said after the game, when NBC Sports' Peter King asked what he was thinking at the sight of Kroft. “Really bad things.”
Reddick easily stormed past Kroft and got to Purdy, tearing into the 23-year-old and forcing the ball from his hand as he attempted to throw. It initially was ruled an incomplete pass, but Reddick knew better.
“I was yelling to Coach Nick, ‘Throw the [challenge] flag!’” Reddick told King. “I knew that was a sack fumble, [because] I got my hand on the ball.”
The Eagles got the ball back on the turnover, as Purdy exited the game and was listed as questionable to return. He came back in later during the third quarter, when his backup Josh Johnson suffered a concussion.
Unable to throw the ball with what the 49ers reportedly fear is an injured ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), San Francisco's offense was rendered useless -- along with their hopes of returning to the Super Bowl.
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Kroft, the backup tight end to George Kittle, had a tough task in blocking one of the NFL's most elite pass rushers.
And thanks to Reddick's victory at the line of scrimmage, the Eagles walked away with a team win and the NFC title.