The two-week break before the Philadelphia Eagles costar in one of the sports world’s signature events is looking very much like a timely one.

For celebrating Eagles fans.

An oceanic roar that began in the parking lots before the game, jammed with thousands of tailgaters, rocked Lincoln Financial Field for more than three hours, and then cascaded onto the streets of Philadelphia when the Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC title and earn a trip to Arizona for the Feb. 12 Super Bowl. They will play the Kansas City Chiefs, who beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20.

“It’s a Philly thing,” said Deanna Scavetti, 42, who with her 11-year-old daughter, Sienna, jogged out of their South Philly home to head to Broad Street. “The energy, nothing compares to it. It brings a lot of family and friends together, it’s a positive for the city.”

» READ MORE: Celebrations erupt as the Eagles head for the Super Bowl

— Anthony R. Wood

With the Eagles taking on the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, Birds center Jason Kelce has made good on his word.

“Officially done being a Chiefs fan this season!!” Kelce tweeted following the teams win over the Cincinatti Bengals.

The matchup pits Kelce against his younger brother and Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce.

Kelce’s short-lived Chiefs fandom ended a few hours after he discussed the possibility of playing against his brother, saying that he had a Chiefs sweatshirt that he would wear “for the next three hours” following the Eagles’ win.

“Win or lose, I am done being a Chiefs fan in three hours,” Kelce said.

— Nick Vadala

The Eagles will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 following their 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game.

The Eagles are 4-5 against the Chiefs all-time, dating back to 1972. The last time the two teams faced off was in 2021, when the Eagles were torched by the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes 42-30.

But that was before either Nick Sirianni or Jalen Hurts were members of the team. And it was before the Eagles had one of the league’s best defenses, headlined by quarterback-chasing phenom Haason Reddick.

Eagles-Chiefs also means a rematch against former Birds head coach Andy Reid, as well as a brotherly face-off between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles center Jason Kelce.

» READ MORE: Chiefs beat Bengals, 23-20, to set up Super Bowl showdown with Eagles

— Rob Tornoe

New Yorkers are blue over the Empire State Building’s lighting choices Sunday night.

Following the Eagles win over the 49ers in the NFC championship game, the the official Twitter account of the 92-year-old building announced it would turn on green and white lights to celebrate the Birds victory.

Predictably, the move confused and angered many New Yorkers, including New York City Council Members Keith Powers.

“As the representative for the Empire State Building, and a diehard Giants fan, let me be on the record saying that this is absolutely ridiculous,” Powers wrote.

Jets offensive lineman Nick Mangold addressed the building’s Twitter account and wrote,” You are dead to me.” While Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, a South Jersey native and lifelong Eagles fan, responded by writing, “Lol what.”

“Did y’all lose a bet,” ESPN’s Mina Kimes asked.

“Theory: Maybe they had that color ready for the Jets and were tired of waiting,” joked ESPN social media director Brett Egerton

— Rob Tornoe

The crowd is beginning to thin at Frankford and Cottman Avenues, but don’t tell that to the people still there hugging, taking pictures, and blasting Bad Bunny.

A huge firework went off in the middle of the crowd, shooting gold sparks into the air. Broken glass and smashed beer cans covered the street, so some who brought their dogs to the party were walking around a bit more carefully.

— Nate File

The Eagles are getting closer to finding out their Super Bowl opponent.

The Kansas City Chiefs are leading the Cincinnati Bengals 13-6 at halftime in the AFC championship game. The winner will move on to the Super Bowl, where they will face the Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Feb. 12.

Despite suffering a high ankle sprain last week, Patrick Mahomes threw for 165 yards in the first half, including a touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce.

A Chiefs win would mean a faceoff between the Eagles and head coach Andy Reid, who led the Birds to five NFC championship games and a Super Bowl appearance in the 2000s. It would also pit Travis Kelce against his older brother, Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce.

“Yup, I have a Kansas City sweatshirt that I will wear for the next three hours, and that’s it for the rest of the season,” Kelce said Sunday. “Win or lose, I am done being a Chiefs fan in three hours.”

— Rob Tornoe

Like moths to flames, herds of people continued to follow the Eagles jerseys and flags hoisted by revelers to the glow of City Hall’s clock.

Ben Hoffstein, 47, walked from the Linc where he’d caught the game with his girlfriend and two other friends. The group fist bumped and chatted with anyone who asked, still basking in the evening’s win.

Hoffstein said the moments after the game were electric.

“Everyone was hugging,” he said. “Strangers became friends.”

— Ximena Conde

Fans brought every kind of beverage and donned every kind of Eagles gear imaginable on Broad Street Sunday night. There were Eagles helmets, blazers, and flags; Eagles jean jackets, blankets, and an eagle blow-up doll.

Revelers brought cases of Miller Lite, White Claw, and High Noon, bottles of champagne and Hennessy, and pitchers of beer.

At one point, a man danced a skeleton down Broad Street through the crowd. A few minutes later, another fan was pushed down the street in a Wal-Mart shopping cart by his friends.

People wished each other Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Go Birds all night. It was every holiday all at once on Broad Street.

— Stephanie Farr

Oscar Truitt, 46, of Wilmington, Del. and his girlfriend, Kelly Mitchell, 45, of Center City, stood just off Broad Street on Walnut, he in a 49ers cap and she in an Eagles cap. Both have been lifelong fans of their respective teams.

When asked how they feel, Mitchell said “Awesome! We’re going back to the Super Bowl after five years!”

Truitt was less enthusiastic.

“Well, we lost. There’s nothing else to say. It’s hard to win with a backup quarterback. Y’all won, so congrats,” he said, as he leaned in to kiss Mitchell.

Afterward, she looked out at the crowd, which was still going wild.

“This is typical Philly style, I’d expect nothing less,” she said.

— Stephanie Farr

“It’s more than electric. It’s a Philly thing,” said Patrick from Northeast Philly.

At Frankford and Cottman Avenues, the crowd is pulsing and beers are flying. After a few pole climbing attempts, one man was arrested and police set up on the roof of a nearby building.

— Nate File

SEPTA has closed the Walnut-Locust and Oregon stations on the Broad Street Line as fans celebrate the Eagles’ victory over the 49ers in the NFC championship.

All subway trains will bypass Walnut-Locust and Oregon stations. Riders will still be able to access the Broad Street Line and Snyder, Lombard-South and City Hall stations, SEPTA said online.

— Nick Vadala

On Sunday people of all ages took part in the celebrations.

Theo Subits, 6, played the tambourine on Porter and Broad Streets with his dad Matt backing him on a drum.

Theo said he brought out his lucky football ahead of the game for good luck and it obviously worked.

Sandi O’Connor said the family watched the game in their South Philly home, confident the Birds would win.

“We knew from the beginning we were going to win,” she said. “It was nice to have a little competition in the first quarter but after that it was smooth sailing.”

A few blocks north, Mary Enderiss, 78, stood on the corner of Ritner and Broad Streets watching the fireworks and the cars blasting the Eagles’ song and Meek Mills’ “Dreams and Nightmares.”

“It’s a wonderful feeling,” said Enderiss, who said she watched every game this season. “It’s nice to have everyone here, it’s nice to see everyone happy.”

Mary DelCasale, 80, said she and Enderiss would probably skip the journey to City Hall and opt to head back after a few minutes.

“I’ll celebrate with a drink and go to bed,” said DelCasale.

— Ximena Conde

Philadelphia Eagles fans want it known: the Niners never stood a chance.

They emerged from Lincoln Financial Field in the thousands, whooping and screaming until their throats burned. They snapped selfies with loved ones and threw handfuls of green confetti into the air. They jumped and tackled each other into the sidewalk.

Because the Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl.

“Grease the poles! Grease the poles!” they yelled between chants of E-A-G-L-E-S and “Niners suck!”

“They never stood a chance,” said Donte Mills, of North Philly. “And whoever wins tonight, against the Bengals-Chiefs, doesn’t stand a chance either.”

— Ellie Rushing

Traffic closures are officially in place in Center City following the Eagles victory over the 49ers in the NFC championship game.

Announced Friday, the closures impact the area between Eighth and 20th Streets and Race and Lombard Streets. The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management confirm the “traffic box” of closures was in place following the Eagles’ win, and advised motorists to “use caution when traveling.”

— Nick Vadala

As the game wrapped, the cacophony of helicopters and fireworks were drowned out at South Philly’s McCusker’s Tavern Sunday where dozens of Eagles fans in green stood glued to a giant projector singing the song of a city: E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles.

Fans stood on chairs, waived their hats, and started heading out to Broad St.

“We’re going to the Super Bowl!” yelled a group of teens running past the bar, high fiving those they passed.

Deanna Scavetti, 42, and her 11 year old daughter Sienna jogged out of their South Philly home to head to Broad Street giggling all the way.

“It’s a Philly thing,” said Scavetti. “The energy, nothing compares to it. It brings a lot of family and friends together, it’s a positive for the city. Everyone’s walking to Broad Street, they’re happy to be with friends and family. The energy is high.”

— Ximena Conde

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is urging fans to celebrate “joyously, safely, and respectfully” after the Eagles win over the 49ers, sending the Birds to the Super Bowl.

“As a lifelong Philadelphian and the Mayor of this great city I am thrilled to see fans of all ages and from every neighborhood celebrating side by side, full of pride and excitement,” Kenney said in a statement. “This is a wonderful night and I ask Philadelphians to celebrate joyously, safely, and respectfully.”

— Rob Tornoe

The Eagles are headedThe Birds handily defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC championship game, punching their ticket to Glendale, Ariz., which will host Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12.

It’s the Eagles second Super Bowl appearance in five years, and the first for second-year head coach Nick Sirianni and starting quarterback Jalen Hurts.

The Eagles will face the winner of tonight’s AFC championship game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs. That game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on CBS, so the Eagles should know their Super Bowl opponent by around 10 p.m. to the Super Bowl.

— Rob Tornoe

They told us the grease was coming, and they weren’t kidding.

Right around halftime, police were spotted greasing the poles around City Hall on South Broad Street in preparation for the conclusion of the Eagles’ NFC Championship game against the 49ers. Nearby, Love Park and the Municipal Services Building were being fenced off.

Those fences and that grease could stand to be in for a long night. At halftime, the Birds led the 49ers 21-7.

As Philly sports fans know, climbing greased poles in revelry has become something of a tradition. Police started greasing poles in the city during the Phillies’ 2009 World Series run, initially throwing Crisco on them to deter particularly motivated celebrants.

But by 2018, Crisco lost its luster. And during the Eagles Super Bowl that year, police switched to hydraulic fluid. Some fans, however, were still able to scale Philadelphia’s fixtures.

But why, though? That’s a tough one.

“I think now it’s that there’s an expectation that that’s the behavior. Now we know to expect it, we prepare for it, and the fans think they should do it,” Meredith Kneavel, associate dean in the School of NUrsing and Health Sciences at La Salle University told the Inquirer last year. “And some of it is the sheer excitement and elation at the shared win. They really do feel like they were part of the win.”

— Nick Vadala

The Niners turned to fourth string quarterback Josh Johnson in the second drive of the first quarter, after Brock Purdy was hit by Eagles outside linebacker Haason Reddick on a play that resulted in a 49ers’ fumble and Philadelphia recovery.

Purdy emerged from the medical tent as the first quarter expired. He started throwing again on the sideline. However, he didn’t return to the field for the remainder of the first half.

It doesn’t stop there. To open the second half, Johnson took a hard fall and slammed his head on the ground. He came off the field and was ruled out with a concussion, according to the 49ers.

With Purdy the only other active quarterback available, the rookie was forced back onto the field.

— Isabella DiAmore

Dawn Staley wore a Jalen Hurts jersey while coaching her South Carolina squad to a 65-52 win over Alabama on Sunday.

Staley, a “Philly girl” who attended Dobbins Tech, is vocal about her love of her hometown and often shouts out Philly teams on social media.

Staley has another big game of her own on the horizon, too, as the No. 1 Gamecocks (21-0) face No. 5 UConn (20-2) next Sunday in Hartford, Conn (noon, Fox).

“Oh, I thought you were talking about the Eagles and the 49ers. I was so ready for that question,” Staley joked with reporters when asked about the Huskies game, according to the Associated Press.

— Maria McIlwain

Sunday’s Eagles-49ers game was delayed several minutes during the final seconds of the first quarter after it appeared a punt by Brett Kern hit a TV camera’s wire.

Officials reviewed the play, and said they couldn’t confirm that Kern’s punt hit the wire. As a result, the 49ers started with good field position entering the second quarter.

— Rob Tornoe

Nature had a surprise for the Eagles and 49ers Sunday afternoon, and it evidently had an impact in the early going.

A steady wind from the southwest was blowing at 21 mph at 3 p.m., and gusting to 28 mph. Matt Brudy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly said that some strong winds blowing not too far above the surface mixed downward more vigorously than had been forecast.

The winds have developed along a corridor between a system to the northwest and one to the east. They were accompanied by a light rain, “but it should not be heavier than light sprinkles,” he said. Temperatures were in the low 50s.

The winds are expected to continue well into the second half, not backing off until after sunset, he said.

They might have been a factor in the first quarter when the Eagles chose to go for it on a fourth down rather than try a long field goal.

As we now know they converted, and then scored the game’s first touchdown.

— Anthony R. Wood

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is out of the game with an injured right elbow and is questionable to return.

With Jimmy Garoppolo out as well, the 49ers are forced to turn to 36-year-old backup quarterback Josh Johnson.

Purdy went to the medical tent after a first-quarter hit from Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick that caused a fumble. Purdy returned to the sideline but did not immediately return to the game.

— Rob Tornoe

For this family, Eagles game days are for the girls.

Shirley Duckett and her younger sisters, Beverly Marshall and Mahlene Duckett Lee, are the daughters of former Philadelphia Stars infielder Mahlon Duckett. Their season tickets to the Eagles game have been in the family since the Birds played at Franklin Field.

The sisters inherited the passes in the 70s, after their uncle died, and ever since, they’ve made it a point to go together.

“This is our thing,” said Beverly Marshall, 76.

The men of their family find another spot to watch, she said.

Marshall’s daughter, Michelle, also joined Sunday. Sports have been central to their family for as long as they can remember, the younger Marshall said, and it means a lot to share this moment with her mom and aunts, with hopes for an Eagles Super Bowl send off.

— Ellie Rushing

Charlotte and Erik Kroft, the parents of 49ers tight end Tyler Kroft, have been longtime Eagles fans for 40 plus years, but today they are repping Niners gear in support of their son.

“It’s been awesome, just to have this journey and to have him play in the Linc.,” Charlotte of Downingtown said. “He played here once when he was in college… But the whole time he’s been in the league he’s played the Eagles twice and it’s always been away games.”

Kroft is in his eighth season in the league. With the 49ers he’s had four catches this season as a reserve tight end but has been a special-teams contributor and effective blocker for one of the league’s most dynamic rushing attacks.

He was drafted as a third-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Rutgers. The tight end also grew up as an Eagles fan and was a star at Downingtown East, where he played for longtime coach Michael Matta.

While Erik and Charlotte were concerned at first about wearing red to a crowd full of bleeding green fans, Charlotte, wearing a green jacket over her jersey, said there were a few expletives shared, but overall hasn’t been too bad.

However, it’s all worth it, Erik said, since this has been a lifetime dream to share with their son.

“We’re looking forward to this,” Erik said. “This will be his first time on this field…it’s still pretty surreal, [we’re] really proud of him.”

» READ MORE: Downingtown’s Tyler Kroft will be thinking of his friend as he returns for NFC championship game with the 49ers

— Isabella DiAmore

The lots surrounding Lincoln Financial Field couldn’t be louder.

Between E-A-G-L-E-S chants, fireworks, and expletive boos to the straggling San Francisco 49ers fans, Philadelphians were eager for the NFC championship game to begin.

“This is our year,” said Father Mike Natveenko, who goes by “Helmet head” because of the Eagles-themed motorcycle helmet he wears to the game.

“The Eagles are the better team, and are destined to go to the Super Bowl,” said Natveenko, of Sicklerville.

Emotions ran high outside the stadium entrance gate, as opposing fans converged.

“Brock sucks!!” one man in Kelly Green yelled.

“What’s wrong with you people?” a woman in 49er garb screamed back to a sea of laughter.

Father-son San Francisco fans John and Matt Kronenberg stopped counting the expletives yelled their way.

“We’ve been to games in other cities " said John Kronenberg, who lives in Connecticut. “But here it’s a little more personal. It’s ‘F you,’ not ‘F your team.’”

Still, even he felt the Eagles were destined to win.

“My heart says 49ers,” he said, “but my head says Eagles.”

— Ellie Rushing

49ers running back Elijah Mitchell won’t play against the Eagles on Sunday due to a groin injury.

It’s a significant injury for the 49ers. Starting running back Christian McCaffrey missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday after suffering a calf injury last weekend against the Dallas Cowboys.

Mitchell was also injured during the Cowboys game, but managed to play through the pain, ending the game with 14 carries for 51 yards.

The Eagles are entering the game healthy, with no players on the team’s 53-man roster listed as inactive for today’s game.

— Rob Tornoe

With the Eagles playing their most important game in five years this afternoon, traffic issues around Lincoln Financial Field shouldn’t surprise anyone.

But the Villanova men’s basketball team is taking on No. 23 Providence at noon at the Wells Fargo Center, and the overlapping events are already creating backups on the Platt Bridge and I-95 North past Philadelphia International Airport.

It’s unclear how many tickets have been sold for the Villanova-Providence game. The Wildcats played one game in South Philadelphia earlier this season, Dec. 3 vs. Oklahoma, and it drew a crowd of more than 17,000.

Villanova senior guard Justin Moore will make his season debut Sunday. He hasn’t played since tearing his Achilles in Villanova’s Elite Eight win over Houston in March.

— Rob Tornoe

The 49ers defense will likely be pound for pound the toughest unit Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will face in his 37th start as a professional.

It has first team All-Pros at all three levels, a lethal combination of speed and physicality, and a defensive coordinator in former Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans who seems to wring every last ounce of effort from his players.

“One of the most impressive things about coaches that I see sometimes is when their guys are just like selling out for them,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said, “and I really see that with DeMeco Ryans’ defense.”

The 49ers, though, haven’t seen a dual-threat offense the likes of the Eagles this season, and a quarterback who factors as much in the run game as Hurts. He hasn’t been listed on the injury report the last two weeks. He’s still receiving treatment, per his coach, but there were zero restrictions in practice this week.

“He’s just ripping it like any normal week,” Sirianni said.

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts to face his biggest test yet vs. the 49ers defense

— Jeff McLane

As of Sunday morning, the cheapest tickets to Eagles-49ers were running between $800 to $900 on most reputable resale websites, up about $200 compared to earlier this week. But after fees — which the websites don’t show until you’re about to checkout — the cost of a single ticket balloons to over $1,000.

Here’s a rundown of the least expensive tickets to Sunday’s Eagles-49ers game on reputable resale websites — including the hidden fees — as of Sunday morning:

» READ MORE: Searching for Eagles-49ers tickets? Here’s how to steer clear of scams.

— Rob Tornoe

Perhaps inevitably, visiting fans of the San Francisco 49ers tried their best to co-opt the Rocky statue ahead of Sunday’s NFC championship game with the Eagles.

Predictably, it did not go well.

As photos of the statue draped in 49ers red — the apparel around Rocky’s shoulders seemed less a jersey than maybe a … scarf? — circulated on social media, Eagles fans quickly turned the play into a score of their own.

There were reminders that when Minnesota Vikings fans tried this in 2018, it backfired, as the Eagles beat them by 31 points to clinch their Super Bowl berth (a Super Bowl played, in further Viking humiliation, in Minneapolis).

San Francisco fans were also trying to claim the legend of Rocky Balboa for their own, calling their underdog quarterback, Brock Purdy, “Brocky” and circulating a mock-up of the Rocky movie poster.

A group of 49ers fans brought a “Brocky” championship belt and posed for pictures with the Rocky statue, now draped in green.

“All the niners fans come to Philly for a cheesesteak and to lose,” said Flip Gibson, who runs a YouTube channel called All Jerseys Matter.

» READ MORE: Eagles and 49ers fans troll and trash-talk at the Rocky statue ahead of Sunday’s NFC championship game

— Amy S. Rosenberg

The Eagles elevated safety Anthony Harris from the practice squad on Saturday ahead of the NFC title game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Harris has yet to appear in a game this season for the Eagles (he spent most of the regular season for the Denver Broncos), and was elevated last week but declared inactive for the Birds’ divisional round victory against the New York Giants.

Harris started for the Eagles in 2021, recording 72 tackles, three passes defensed, and one interception. During the offseason, the Eagles traded for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and released Harris ahead of Week 1 this season. He was signed by the Broncos and promoted to the active roster in November, but was released by Denver last month.

— Rob Tornoe

If you’re not heading to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday to cheer on the Eagles as they play the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC championship, you might want to avoid parking your car in certain areas.

The city on Friday announced potential traffic closures that could be put in place between Eighth and 20th Streets and Race and Lombard Streets sometime on Sunday, should the Eagles clinch victory and people rush to City Hall.

Parking restrictions will also go into effect along the South Broad Street corridor and around City Hall on Sunday at noon, per a statement from the mayor’s office. “Temporary No Parking” signs have already started to appear in those areas.

Vehicles parked in those locations will be relocated, but you can call the corresponding police district to find where your car was moved.

Another heads up for revelers: The Philadelphia Police Department will be greasing poles along Broad Street. Barricades are also going up, said the statement, and the police department is evaluating additional protocols ahead of the game.

» READ MORE: Road closures, parking restrictions announced ahead of Eagles-49ers NFC championship game

— Beatrice Forman

The Eagles are going into the biggest game of the year with an empty injury report.

Slot cornerback Avonte Maddox, the only player on the active roster whose status was in question going into Friday, was a full participant in practice and is expected to return for the NFC championship game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

Right tackle Lane Johnson was limited during the week but is expected to play for the second week in a row since returning with a torn adductor injury. Linebacker T.J. Edwards popped up on the practice participation report with an ankle injury, but he had no designation on the injury report either, suggesting he’ll be ready to play as well.

Maddox was limited in practice each day going into Friday after missing the previous four weeks with a toe injury suffered on Christmas Eve against the Dallas Cowboys. The 26-year-old wouldn’t say what the injury was exactly, but shrugged off the notion that he’d fractured any bones.

“Broken?” Maddox said, laughing. “I don’t think I’d be running if it was broken. Can you run on broke toes? I ain’t got no broke toes, my toes fine.”

» READ MORE: Eagles’ injury report: Avonte Maddox’s return would mean 22 starters available vs. the 49ers

— EJ Smith

The Eagles will play their most important game in five years Sunday when they host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. The winner moves on to the Super Bowl, while the loser heads home.

The game will air on Fox, but for the first time in two decades, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman won’t be in the booth calling the game, after they jumped to ESPN’s Monday Night Football during the offseason.

Instead, Sunday’s NFC championship game between the Eagles and the 49ers will be called by Kevin Burkhardt and former Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen, who have drawn excellent reviews during their first season occupying the network’s No. 1 booth. Joining them on the sidelines will be reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi, whom Fox hired away from ESPN in 2021.

» READ MORE: Eagles-49ers: After 20 years, a first for Fox

— Rob Tornoe