Eagles James Bradberry responds to Deebo Samuel calling him 'trash' and 49ers whining
PHILADELPHIA − There's a good chance 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel will get his wish and line up against the Eagles cornerback he called "trash" during the offseason, then doubled down on that this week ahead of the NFC championship game rematch this Sunday.
The Eagles won that game 31-7 at Lincoln Financial Field and advanced to the Super Bowl. Samuel had just three catches for 33 yards.
Of course, it was hard for Samuel or any 49ers player to catch the ball when quarterback Brock Purdy had to play the second half on an injured elbow that prevented him from throwing.
That was because Haason Reddick sacked Purdy in the first quarter, injuring his elbow that required offseason surgery. Josh Johnson replaced him, but he was ruled out at halftime with a concussion. Purdy, unable to throw, had to go back in.
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The 49ers had no chance after that, and that fueled Samuel's − not to mention other 49er players − claims (whines?) that the game would have gone differently had Purdy been able to play a full game.
"It would've definitely been a different outcome," Samuel said last February on the I Am Athlete podcast. "... We lost because we played with 10 people."
He then called Bradberry "trash" when asked about the holes in the Eagles' defense on the podcast: "The back end. The D-line makes both of them All-Pros − besides (Darius) Slay, I respect Slay."
When asked Monday if he regretted what he said about Bradberry, Samuel told reporters: "I don't regret nothing I said."
James Bradberry has a response to Deebo Samuel's comment
Bradberry was asked Wednesday about Samuel's comment.
"Of course, I don’t necessarily like what he said," Bradberry said. "I wish he would’ve used a better word to describe my play, but it is what it is. At the end of the day, all I can control is my work ethic and what I do out there."
Bradberry, like most of the Eagles teammates, refused to engage in talking back to the 49ers.
"It’s never been part of my personality or my game, to try to say things in the media to get another team riled up or just express all my thoughts," he said. "I try to keep everything generic and just go out there and handle my business when it comes down to playing the game."
Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata came the closest, saying that hearing those comments about Bradberry "irks me." But he also said he has a lot of respect for the 49ers, particularly their defensive line.
Here are three key matchups to determine if he and the 49ers will whine again after the game, or if the Eagles will be the ones fuming:
1. Deebo will see plenty of Bradberry
That Samuel will likely get a heavy dose of Bradberry on Sunday is not necessarily complimentary toward Samuel.
That's because Brandon Aiyuk has been the 49ers' top receiver this season, and Slay typically focuses on the opponent's top receiver at key parts of the game.
Slay has done this from time to time this season against Minnesota's Justin Jefferson, the Rams' Cooper Kupp, Dallas' CeeDee Lamb and Buffalo's Stefon Diggs.
"With Slay, (Bradberry), whoever is on the field, it's trying to find where we think we can be optimizing those high-leverage situations," Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai said.
But it could be tough against the 49ers, who have four difficult receivers to match up with.
Aiyuk leads the 49ers with 881 yards receiving in 10 games. Tight end George Kittle has 676 yards receiving, and Samuel has 474 yards in nine games. Samuel is also a threat as a rusher with 138 yards. And running back Christian McCaffrey has 939 yards rushing and 389 yards receiving.
Bradberry has had an up-and-down season after making the Pro Bowl last season. But he played well against Buffalo, allowing Slay to focus on Diggs. Bradberry had an interception and broke up four passes in the 37-34 overtime win.
Of course, Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw for 339 yards, and the Eagles rank 29th in the NFL in pass defense. So all of the Eagles' defensive backs and off-ball linebackers will have their hands full.
2. Here's why Eagles will clamp down on Brock Purdy again
Samuel wasn't wrong when he gave the credit to the Eagles' defensive line for shutting down the 49ers passing game last January.
The Eagles had constant pressure on both Purdy and Johnson in the first half. The Eagles had three sacks in the first half, two of them by Reddick.
Purdy doesn't have the ability to escape the pass rush like Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. He also typically doesn't make mistakes, mainly because he can get the ball out quickly to any of his four top receivers.
Purdy was 7-0 last season as a starter before the NFC championship game, replacing both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, who suffered season-ending injuries.
The record speaks for itself. Purdy, the very last pick in the 2022 draft, went 7-0 as a starter last season. He won the job outright this season and has led the 49ers to an 8-3 record, two games behind the Eagles for the top record in the NFC.
Purdy has thrown seven interceptions all season, but six of them came in the 49ers' three straight losses earlier in the season.
"He's slippery. He's a little bit quick and can be evasive in the pocket," Desai said. "And he keeps his eyes up field and is able to target some explosive (plays) downfield that way too. We will have to have a good plan corralling him and getting tight to some of these routes."
As for getting that pressure on Purdy, rookie Jalen Carter (four sacks) will be a key from the inside to go along with Reddick (8½) and Josh Sweat (6½) on the outside.
3. If Lane Johnson can't play, 49ers will feast
The 49ers are one of a select few teams with a defensive line as deep and talented as the Eagles. That includes former Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who has six sacks in his first season in San Francisco after signing a four-year contract worth as much as $84 million last spring.
Nick Bosa (eight sacks) is having another Pro Bowl season. And the 49ers traded for Washington's Chase Young at the deadline after the Eagles already played against him twice. The 49ers also have Arik Armstead (five sacks), Drake Jackson (three sacks), Clelin Ferrell and Randy Gregory (1½ each).
In other words, the Eagles need right tackle Lane Johnson back after he was a late scratch against the Bills with a groin injury.
Johnson told the Philadelphia Inquirer at an event at a Philadelphia school on Tuesday that he'll be "ready to rock" on Sunday. He also said the injury was the result of scar tissue from surgery last spring to repair a torn adductor.
Jack Driscoll started and played well enough in Johnson's place. But he's not Johnson. And the Eagles aren't the same without Johnson. Even after the wild comeback win over the Bills, the Eagles are 14-22 without Johnson. They're 88-48-1 with him.
If Johnson plays, the Eagles should be able to hold off the 49ers' rush long enough for Hurts to either find a receiver or run. If not, it could be a long day for the Eagles.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles James Bradberry responds to 49ers Deebo Samuel 'trash' talk
