Game story
In Week 15 of the 2001 NFL season on 2001-12-22, the San Francisco 49ers took care of business against the Philadelphia Eagles, pulling away with a 13–3 final that built a comfortable lead.
The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 7 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
D. McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles) paced the passing game, with -4.62 total EPA.
On the individual side, D. Staley (Philadelphia Eagles) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +5.49 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-31.1% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when Philadelphia Eagles changed the game: (10:49) 5-D.McNabb pass intended for 89-C.Lewis INTERCEPTED by 50-D.Smith at SF 0. Touchback.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 D. Staley · Philadelphia Eagles · Receiving · +5.49 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.50 EPA/play
- 2 T. Owens · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +3.81 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.48 EPA/play
- 3 T. Pinkston · Philadelphia Eagles · Receiving · +2.22 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.55 EPA/play
- 4 E. Johnson · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +1.89 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.95 EPA/play
- 5 J. Garcia · San Francisco 49ers · Passing · +1.61 total EPA · 28 snaps · +0.06 EPA/play
- 6 D. McNabb · Philadelphia Eagles · Rushing · +1.48 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.25 EPA/play
- 7 J. Swift · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +0.64 total EPA · 1 snaps · +0.64 EPA/play
- 8 C. Buckhalter · Philadelphia Eagles · Rushing · +0.63 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.32 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
D. Staley — PHI · Receiving
D. Staley posted the highest total EPA (+5.49) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Philadelphia Eagles's efficiency. Across 11 counted snaps, they averaged +0.50 EPA per play.
The signature play (-5.98 EPA) came from Philadelphia Eagles: (10:49) 5-D.McNabb pass intended for 89-C.Lewis INTERCEPTED by 50-D.Smith at SF 0. Touchback.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- San Francisco 49ers — T. Owens (J. Garcia pass)
Field goals
- Philadelphia Eagles — D. Akers
- San Francisco 49ers — J. Cortez
- San Francisco 49ers — J. Cortez
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The second quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. Philadelphia Eagles connected on a field goal from the SF 2 (Q2 44:55) — (14:55) 2-D.Akers 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-88-M.Bartrum, Holder-10-K.Detmer.; San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the PHI 3 (Q2 31:48) — (1:48) 6-J.Cortez 21 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-B.Jennings, Holder-7-J.Baker..
The third quarter: San Francisco 49ers won the period 3–0. San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the PHI 14 (Q3 15:40) — (:40) 6-J.Cortez 32 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-B.Jennings, Holder-7-J.Baker..
The fourth quarter: San Francisco 49ers won the period 7–0. San Francisco 49ers found the end zone from the PHI 32 (Q4 6:57) — (6:57) 5-J.Garcia pass to 81-T.Owens for 32 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; San Francisco 49ers added 1 points from the PHI 2 (Q4 6:52) — 6-J.Cortez extra point is GOOD, Center-86-B.Jennings, Holder-7-J.Baker. PENALTY on PHI, Leverage, 15 yards, enforced between downs..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Q4 10:49) — (10:49) 5-D.McNabb pass intended for 89-C.Lewis INTERCEPTED by 50-D.Smith at SF 0. Touchback.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Q4 15:00) — (15:00) 5-D.McNabb pass to 22-D.Staley to SF 9 for 46 yards (31-Z.Bronson). Caught at 50.
- San Francisco 49ers (Q4 8:52) — (8:52) 5-J.Garcia pass incomplete to 81-T.Owens. PENALTY on PHI-31-A.Harris, Defensive Pass Interference, 34 yards, enforced at SF 21 - No Play.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Q4 12:18) — (12:18) 5-D.McNabb right end pushed ob at SF 1 for no gain (50-D.Smith). PENALTY on SF-30-L.Schulters, Defensive Holding, 0 yards, enforced at SF 1 - No Play.
- San Francisco 49ers (Q4 6:57) — (6:57) 5-J.Garcia pass to 81-T.Owens for 32 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Q4 10:49) — (10:49) 5-D.McNabb pass intended for 89-C.Lewis INTERCEPTED by 50-D.Smith at SF 0. Touchback.
- San Francisco 49ers (Q4 6:57) — (6:57) 5-J.Garcia pass to 81-T.Owens for 32 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Q4 15:00) — (15:00) 5-D.McNabb pass to 22-D.Staley to SF 9 for 46 yards (31-Z.Bronson). Caught at 50.
- San Francisco 49ers (Q4 8:52) — (8:52) 5-J.Garcia pass incomplete to 81-T.Owens. PENALTY on PHI-31-A.Harris, Defensive Pass Interference, 34 yards, enforced at SF 21 - No Play.
Quarterback report card
D.McNabb led all passers in efficiency for Philadelphia Eagles, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- D.McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles) · 37 dropbacks · 62.2% completion · -0.12 EPA/play · -4.62 total EPA
- J.Garcia (San Francisco 49ers) · 28 dropbacks · 50.0% completion · +0.06 EPA/play · +1.61 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Philadelphia Eagles | San Francisco 49ers |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.080 | +0.040 |
| Offensive success rate | 42.3% | 48.6% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.073 | +0.118 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.249 | -0.143 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.040 | +0.080 |
| Defensive success rate | 51.4% | 57.7% |
By the numbers
San Francisco 49ers held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.04 vs -0.08), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Philadelphia Eagles: 10 drives, -6.23 total EPA, 1 scoring drives
- San Francisco 49ers: 10 drives, +2.86 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- San Francisco 49ers leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- D. Staley (Philadelphia Eagles) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Philadelphia Eagles FG (+3) — Q2 44:55 · SF 2 · Score 3-0
(14:55) 2-D.Akers 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-88-M.Bartrum, Holder-10-K.Detmer. - San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q2 31:48 · PHI 3 · Score 3-3
(1:48) 6-J.Cortez 21 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-B.Jennings, Holder-7-J.Baker. - San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q3 15:40 · PHI 14 · Score 3-6
(:40) 6-J.Cortez 32 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-B.Jennings, Holder-7-J.Baker. - San Francisco 49ers TD (+6) — Q4 6:57 · PHI 32 · Score 3-12
(6:57) 5-J.Garcia pass to 81-T.Owens for 32 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - San Francisco 49ers XP (+1) — Q4 6:52 · PHI 2 · Score 3-13
6-J.Cortez extra point is GOOD, Center-86-B.Jennings, Holder-7-J.Baker. PENALTY on PHI, Leverage, 15 yards, enforced between downs.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Philadelphia Eagles vs San Francisco 49ers?
The San Francisco 49ers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 13-3 in Week 15, 2001 on 2001-12-22.
What was the final score of Philadelphia Eagles vs San Francisco 49ers?
The final score was Philadelphia Eagles 3, San Francisco 49ers 13 (PHI 3-13 SF) in Week 15, 2001 on 2001-12-22.
What was the score by quarter in Philadelphia Eagles vs San Francisco 49ers?
Q2: Philadelphia Eagles 3, San Francisco 49ers 3; Q3: Philadelphia Eagles 0, San Francisco 49ers 3; Q4: Philadelphia Eagles 0, San Francisco 49ers 7; Final: Philadelphia Eagles 3, San Francisco 49ers 13.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Philadelphia Eagles vs San Francisco 49ers?
San Francisco 49ers touchdown — T. Owens (J. Garcia pass) (Q4 6:57) Philadelphia Eagles field goal — D. Akers (Q2 44:55, 3 pts) San Francisco 49ers field goal — J. Cortez (Q2 31:48, 3 pts) San Francisco 49ers field goal — J. Cortez (Q3 15:40, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Philadelphia Eagles vs San Francisco 49ers?
D. McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles), 62.2% completion, -0.12 EPA per dropback, -4.62 total passing EPA. J. Garcia (San Francisco 49ers), 50.0% completion, +0.06 EPA per dropback, +1.61 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Philadelphia Eagles vs San Francisco 49ers?
D. Staley (Philadelphia Eagles) led the game in total EPA with +5.49 on receiving plays. across 11 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-5.98 EPA): (10:49) 5-D.McNabb pass intended for 89-C.Lewis INTERCEPTED by 50-D.Smith at SF 0. Touchback.. The biggest win-probability swing was -31.1%.
Season records after this game
Philadelphia Eagles
Entered 9-4 Now 9-5 L
San Francisco 49ers
Entered 10-3 Now 11-3 W
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