49ers Insider Matt Maiocco gives you five players to keep an eye on in Week 4.

The Philadelphia Eagles are winless. The 49ers are coming off back-to-back road wins against the two teams that make their homes in New Jersey.
Yet, the Eagles actually are closer to their division lead than the 49ers. Go figure.
While things appear to be falling apart in Philadelphia, the Eagles still are very much in the thick of the playoff picture in the lackluster NFC East.
The 49ers, meanwhile, are halfway through a string of four games against opponents they have to push to the side in order to keep pace in the loaded NFC West.
Already having taken care of the New York Jets and New York Giants, the 49ers (2-1) face the Eagles (0-2-1) on Sunday Night Football at Levi’s Stadium. Next week: The Miami Dolphins.
But, first, they have to take care of business against Philadelphia. Here are five players they will be counting on set the tone for Sunday’s game.

Mullens gets his second consecutive start and the 10th of his NFL career. He is coming off a 343-yard performance in the 49ers’ 36-9 victory over the Giants.
With Jimmy Garoppolo still hobbled with a high ankle sprain, Mullens will start again.
This week, he will have tight end George Kittle available as a target in the passing game. Kittle missed the past two games with a knee injury. He watched from the sideline as Mullens dissected the Giants.
“I love watching Nick play,” Kittle said. “We have a connection.”
When Kittle set the single-season NFL record for receiving yards from a tight end in 2018, Mullens was the quarterback for 793 of the 1,377 yards over the final eight games of the season.

Kinlaw made his first NFL start on Sunday against the Giants with Solomon Thomas out for the season with a knee injury. Kinlaw likely will never again be a backup for the 49ers.
Kinlaw, whom the 49ers selected with the No. 14 overall draft pick, has been solid against the run. He has shown some pass-rush skills, too. His primary role on Sunday night will be to penetrate into the backfield and tie up offensive linemen so as to allow linebackers Fred Warner and Kwon Alexander to get untouched to the ball carrier.
This will be Kinlaw’s first national-television game in the NFL. But he is not in a jovial mood, as he gets prepared for this one. And, yes, that’s a good thing for the 49ers’ defense.
"That's the thing, I'm not excited when I play," Kinlaw said. "I'm very angry when I play. It's not excitement for me.”

Pro Football Focus rates Brandon Graham as the Eagles’ top pass-rusher and McGlinchey as the 49ers’ lowest-graded pass protector.
They will be matched up throughout Sunday’s game. This is a head-to-head battle that Graham must win for the Eagles to make Mullens uncomfortable in the pocket and limit his ability to spread the ball around and involve all of his targets.
McGlinchey, according to PFF, has not surrendered a sack, but he is responsible for seven pressures through three games, including five hits on the quarterback.
Graham, an 11-year veteran, already has three sacks and is on pace for a career-best season. Graham has 54 career sacks but has never reached double-digits in a single season.

Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz is struggling. He ranks last in passer rating among those who have attempted at least 10 passes this season. Wentz has thrown two interceptions in each of the Eagles’ first three games.
But it is difficult to convince Ward that Wentz is closer to the bottom than the top of all NFL quarterbacks.
“He can pass. He can use his feet. He looks off the safeties. He trusts his wide receivers,” Ward said. “I don’t know. That’s a lot of stuff. I’m trying to think of something this quarterback can’t do.”
Ward is coming off a strong season as the team’s starting free safety. But the one area where he can improve is generating takeaways. He has not registered an interception since the 2016 season.
If Wentz continues his sloppy trend, Ward could have a chance to end that dry spell on Sunday.

Deebo Samuel, the 49ers’ presumptive No. 1 receiver, is expected to be back for Sunday’s game. But it does not seem likely Samuel will be on the field for much more than 50 percent of the team’s snaps.
Aiyuk quickly has turned into a valuable part of the 49ers’ offense.
He sat out the 49ers’ season opener but saw a lot of action the past two weeks. Aiyuk showcased his Samuel-esque skills in the 49ers’ win over the Giants. He carried three times for 31 yards and a touchdown on jet sweeps. He also caught five passes for 70 yards.
As Aiyuk becomes more comfortable in the offense, and coach Kyle Shanahan discovers new and inventive ways to get him the ball, he should become even more vital to the offense.
Aiyuk could face his stiffest competition, too. He goes up against three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, far-and-away the Eagles’ best cover man. In 118 snaps of coverage this season, Slay has allowed 10 receptions on 16 targets for just 87 yards, according to PFF.