Why are Eagles fans blaming NFL referees? 49ers face criticism after crushing Super Bowl favorites in Week 13

The Eagles were Super Bowl favorites coming into Week 13 before the 49ers dismantled them 42-19. That leaves Philadelphia still atop the NFC at 10-2 but now the gap between them and other teams is decreasing. San Francisco improved to 9-3, joining the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys with the same record.

The Eagles face the Cowboys next week in a divisional matchup and should Philadelphia lose, Dallas will join them at 10-3. If Detroit and San Francisco also win, it will result in a four-way tie at the top of the NFC.

That is why this game was so important. The Philadelphia Eagles were absolutely dismantled by the San Francisco 49ers, but home team fans believe that they could have won the game had the referees not made allegedly controversial calls.

They pointed to certain decisions that they felt went against them. Josh Sweat was called twice for neutral zone infractions, both of which resulted in touchdowns. They felt other holding and pass interference calls were missed, along with catches being called for the 49ers where there were none.

Scapegoating referees might mask psychological scar for the Eagles after their defeat to the 49ers

The referees might not have been perfect, but they were better than the Philadelphia Eagles were against the San Francisco 49ers. After the first quarter, the 49ers torched the Eagles defense for multiple touchdowns.

Beyond the ramifications for the playoff spots, there is a psychological component to this loss. These two teams faced off in the last edition of the NFC Championship. That time, Philadelphia overcame San Francisco in a game best remembered for starting quarterback Brock Purdy's injury.

With Purdy fit today, the 49ers dominated. Given that they are likely to meet in the postseason again, they now have the psychological upper hand going into the playoffs.

That has also added to Philadelphia fans' pain. Many of them are still unhappy with the way the last Super Bowl was refereed, which saw them concede a pass interference late in the game that allowed the Kansas City Chiefs to beat them. But if they are to go back and play in the championship game again, they need to tighten up their defense.