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NFC championship: Trent Williams body-slams K'von Wallace, both players ejected as tempers flare in Eagles' blowout of 49ers

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (74) talks with San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) during the NFC championship game on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (74) talks with San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) during the NFC championship game on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

After 56 minutes of frustrating 49ers football, tempers flared in Sunday's NFC championship game.

With the game all but over in Philadelphia's favor, the Eagles stopped San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey short of a first down on a third-down run late in the fourth quarter. Multiple scrums broke out after the play, ultimately leading to ejections for both teams.

Eagles and 49ers players continued to grapple in a second scrum long after whistles first blew. At that point, Trent Williams had apparently seen enough. The San Francisco 49ers left tackle grabbed Eagles safety K'Von Wallace then slammed him to the turf. Wallace, apparently unfazed after being tossed to the ground by a 320-pound man, popped up and immediately threw a punch.

Williams was out of range by then, and Wallace's punch connected with the face mask of 49ers left guard Aaron Banks. Williams, meanwhile, was trading blows with other Eagles players who didn't take kindly to his aggression.

Niners players then poured onto the field from the near sideline, while the Eagles' bench players were corralled by their coaching staff. Philadelphia still has something to play for.

After multiple flags flew, the matter was eventually diffused. Officials urged "both teams to the sideline, please" over the Lincoln Financial Field loudspeakers. Once the dust settled, officials called Williams and Wallace for offsetting unnecessary roughness penalties. Both players were ejected. Play eventually resumed, and Deebo Samuel fumbled on the next play.

The incident had no impact on the outcome of the game, which the Eagles led at the time by the final 31-7 margin. Philadelphia struck first, then knocked out both of San Francisco's starting quarterbacks in a game that got out of hand quickly. A 49ers defense that dominated offenses all season had no answers for an Eagles offense that scored four touchdowns on the ground. San Francisco's offense, meanwhile, stood no chance as it was forced to play an injured Brock Purdy after it ran out of healthy quarterbacks.

This was not what the 49ers expected or signed up for with a shot at the Super Bowl at stake. It's no surprise that the simmering tension eventually boiled over with the game out of of hand.