In advance of tomorrow afternoon's game, one of the big questions is how the style of play will be affected by the heavy snowfall that has beset Philadelphia and much of the east coast. For the 49ers' offense, the weather conditions just might call for a lot of Frank Gore.

Gore is the 49ers' star running back, and he's coming off 167 yards rushing last Monday night in a win over the Arizona Cardinals. On the season, Gore 835 yards rushing on 162 carries for an average of 5.2 yards per carry.

"Frank Gore, I think, is one of the best backs in this league," said Eagles' safety Sean Jones. "He's a load. He's a great blocking back and we're definitely working on tackling."

The Eagles will no doubt focus on limiting the damage Gore can do on the ground. Make sure to keep an eye on the 100-yard rushing mark. The 49ers' are 3-0 this season in games when Gore has surpassed 100 yards on the ground, but the Eagles haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher in the last 20 regular season games.

That kind of sustained success inspires confidence in the Eagles' defense.

Gore "runs with a lot of heart," said Eagles' safety Quintin Demps. "He runs hard too. We have some linebackers for him though. We're going to see how his chin feels after Sunday."

"He's a great back," said Akeem Jordan, one of those linebackers who will be locked in on Gore all afternoon. "He's not going to go doPostdwn easy. We just have to wrap him up and keep running our feet."

The Eagles were unanimous in their praise of Gore's pounding running style.

"He's another physical guy," said linebacker Tracy White. "He protects the ball better than usual running backs in the NFL, he doesn't fumble as much. And for a physical runner he has good vision."

"Gore is such a physical runner and also has great vision and great feet," said Eagles' head coach Andy Reid. "He's proven that over the years. He's a heck of a player."

-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 9:30 p.m., December 19