Eagles-49ers scouting report

The Eagles offense will look different Sunday with the absence of left tackle Jason Peters, who is out for the season with a major knee injury. Halapoulivaati Vaitai will take Peters' place at left tackle, and the Eagles must make sure it doesn't slow down scorching quarterback Carson Wentz. Lane Johnson will stay at right tackle for the Eagles. Wentz has thrown 11 touchdowns in his past three games and will go up against the NFL's 25th-ranked pass defense. San Francisco allows 258.6 passing yards per game – more than the 249.7 the Eagles average. Vaitai will block first-round pick Solomon Thomas, who has two sacks this season. Injuries have affected the 49ers' defensive line, with Leger Douzable replacing Arik Armstead on the left side. Their top defensive lineman is tackle DeForest Buckner, who will be a tough matchup for the Eagles' interior linemen. This is a favorable matchup for Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who has not yet topped 100 yards in Philadelphia. He'll likely see time against cornerback Dontae Johnson. Rashard Robinson is San Francisco's other starting cornerback.

The 49ers have struggled against the run this season, allowing 134.6 rushing yards per game. The Eagles average 131.7 per game, and Wentz is a big part of that. The running-back committee has been effective for the Eagles, so look for LeGarrette Blount and Wendell Smallwood to continue carrying the load. Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 147 yards last week against the 49ers. Rookie linebacker Reuben Foster is expected to be back in the lineup for the 49ers, providing them a major boost. They also moved safety Eric Reid to linebacker, too, giving more speed at the second level. A rainy, windy day is forecast, so the ground game could be important.

A big mismatch could come on third downs. San Francisco is the worst in the NFL by allowing teams to convert on 49.5 percent of their third-down attempts. The Eagles lead the NFL with a 50.5 percent conversion rate on third downs. This could help the Eagles extend drives and control the game.

It's clear from examining the roster that the 49ers are rebuilding. They changed quarterbacks last week, going from veteran Brian Hoyer to third-round pick C.J. Beathard. It's a tough task for a rookie quarterback to make his second career start in Philadelphia against Jim Schwartz's swarming defense, even if the Eagles rank 29th in the NFL against the pass. Beathard has formidable tackles protecting him, with veteran Joe Staley on the left side and the 355-pound Trent Brown on the right. But the Niners aren't as strong in the interior, so this could be a big game for Fletcher Cox and Tim Jernigan. Schwartz could also emphasize the Eagles' blitzing packages to flummox Beathard.

The running backs will be a major part of San Francisco's game plan, both on the ground and through the air. Carlos Hyde has nine receptions from Beathard since the rookie took over and is second on the team in receptions. Coach Kyle Shanahan likes to get his running backs involved in the passing game. The Eagles are playing without middle linebacker Jordan Hicks, who is out for the season with an Achilles injury. Nigel Bradham and Mychal Kendricks will be three-down linebackers, with Najee Goode or Joe Walker taking over as the middle linebacker in the base defense. The 49ers could try to isolate a running back on a linebacker and try to get a big play through the passing game that way. They're not getting it from their wide receivers, who have not found the end zone all season. Veteran Pierre Garcon is the top receiver, with speedster Marquise Goodwin the No. 2. Goodwin has been slowed this week by a back injury, but the Eagles must not let him get behind the defense if he plays. He averages 16.4 yards per catch in his career. Rookie tight end George Kittle will be a factor; Malcolm Jenkins will likely draw that assignment.

The absence of Hicks might be felt in the running game; the Eagles enter Sunday with the NFL's top-ranked rush defense. The 49ers average only 96 rushing yards per game, but they're often playing from behind. Hyde is averaging a respectable 4.3 yards per carry.

5: That's how many touchdowns Zach Ertz has caught this season, setting a career high. Ertz had four touchdowns in both 2013 and 2016. All five of his touchdowns this season have come inside the red zone, and three have been from inside the 5-yard line. Entering this season, he had only one touchdown inside the 5. The franchise record for touchdowns by a tight end in a season is 10, by Pete Retzlaff in 1965.

Zach Berman: Eagles 31, 49ers 20

Les Bowen: Eagles 27, 49ers 13

Paul Domowitch: Eagles 38, 49ers 17

Jeff McLane: Eagles 33, 49ers 20