Philadelphia @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 2, 2011 ) San Francisco 24, Philadelphia 23

The Philadelphia Eagles are one of three undefeated teams in the NFL, but they are the one that has overcome the most adversity to get to this point. The Eagles will try to put together a 60-minute effort Sunday when they travel to San Francisco to take on a 49ers team that is desperate for a victory following two straight losses. This game also will pit a pair of former Pac-12 rivals in Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly, who used to roam the sidelines at Oregon where he would coach against Stanford's Jim Harbaugh, now the head coach for San Francisco.

The Eagles are the first team in NFL history to win their first three games despite trailing by double digits in each contest. Despite their inconsistent play of late, they have won 10 of their last 11 regular-season games - the latest being last week's 37-34 victory over Washington in which Nick Foles had his third straight game of at least 300 passing yards and also threw for a pair of scores. San Francisco was outscored 17-0 in the second half against Arizona last weekend and has been outscored 52-3 after intermission this season.

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: 49ers -4.5. O/U: 50.5

ABOUT THE EAGLES (3-0): Kelly prefers not to focus on the Eagles' slow starts, but on their ability to finish strong and wear out their opponents. "The way the whole team played in the fourth quarter shows the type of conditioning we have," Kelly said. The coach also remains unconcerned with star running back LeSean McCoy, who is only averaging 2.9 yards per carry and has been outplayed by backup Darren Sproles (6.9 yards per rush). Perhaps the biggest concern of all for Philadelphia is an offensive line that will be without three starters on Sunday - tackle Lane Johnson (suspension), center Jason Kelce (abdomen) and guard Evan Mathis (knee).

ABOUT THE 49ERS (1-2): San Francisco began 1-2 last season as well, but then defeated St. Louis in Week 4 to ignite a stretch of five straight wins - all by double digits. The 49ers could use more production out of Frank Gore, who has averaged 46.3 rushing yards per game and has not taken any of his 35 carries for more than 20 yards. Veteran receiver Anquan Boldin caught seven touchdowns a season ago but is still looking for his first of 2014, while former Bills standout Stevie Johnson also is seeking his first TD grab of the year. “I wouldn’t categorize it,” Harbaugh said of his team's inconsistent offense. “In terms of identity, we want to be about moving the football, picking up first downs, scoring points and scoring touchdowns.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Including the playoffs, the 49ers are 14-1 when QB Colin Kaepernick has a quarterback rating of at least 100.

2. San Francisco WR Michael Crabtree is coming off a career-high 10 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown last week while Eagles rookie WR Jordan Matthews caught the first two TDs of his career last Sunday.

3. The Eagles had won five straight meetings with the 49ers before a 24-23 loss in 2011.

PREDICTION: 49ers 31, Eagles 16