Lions-49ers feature two elite offenses.
The San Francisco 49ers are back in a familiar situation, playing a Detroit Lions team that is fresh to this stage.
The 49ers have played in the NFC Championship game more times than any other club, and they will make their 19th appearance and third in a row when they face Detroit on Sunday. The Lions are in the Super Bowl for the first time in 32 years, having never been there before.
For San Francisco, it is about unfinished business.
They had little chance in Philadelphia last year when Brock Purdy was taken out of the game in the first quarter due to an elbow injury and was forced to return only to hand off because backup Josh Johnson suffered a concussion.
The 49ers (13-5) received the No. 1 seed but only narrowly defeated No. 7 seed Green Bay last week, requiring a late rally.
The Lions (14-5) nearly lost a wild-card game to Jared Goff’s previous team, the Los Angeles Rams, before pulling away from Tampa Bay in the fourth quarter last week.
Goff won the NFC Championship Game with the Rams and has performed well in the postseason.
The 49ers are 7-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
When the Lions have the Ball
The Lions possessed the league’s second-ranked passing offense, trailing only Goff, and the fifth-ranked rushing attack, led by David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibb. The 49ers ranked 14th against the pass and third against the run, but Aaron Jones and the Packers pounded them for 136 yards and 4.9 per carry.
Goff has several playmakers, including All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta. St. Brown has the potential to be a major problem in the slot. LaPorta must face All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner.
Montgomery rushed for 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns. Gibbs had 945 running yards and 10 touchdowns. St. Brown caught 119 catches for 1,515 yards and ten touchdowns. LaPorta has 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Goff ended with 4,575 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Detroit expects to run a lot behind All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell, a 330-pounder with exceptional speed and quickness. Gibbs’ elusiveness makes him difficult for opponents to deal with.
If the Niners can stop or restrict Montgomery and Gibbs, they’ll have a front four to go after Goff. Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Javon Hargrave, and Arik Armstead are among the top defensive lines in the league. Warner anchors the back seven, along with linebacker Dre.
Goff performed far better at home than on the road, with a passer rating of 107.9 at Ford Field and 89.4 at visiting stadiums.
Ben Johnson, the Lions’ offensive coordinator, has been quite busy this postseason, interviewing for many head coaching positions, but he must focus on putting up the best game plan to target one of the NFL’s most outstanding defenses.
When the Niners have the ball
The 49ers possessed the league’s third-ranked running assault behind Christian McCaffrey and the fourth-ranked passing offense behind Purdy. The Lions ranked second against the run but 27th against the pass, and Baker Mayfield threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns against them last week.
Detroit’s strong run defense will not deter coach Kyle Shanahan. McCaffrey is the best in the game and was voted unanimously to the AP All-Pro team. He’ll have plenty of opportunities, especially if Deebo Samuel is unable to play due to a shoulder injury.
Even if Samuel sits out, Purdy should have plenty of opportunities against Detroit’s secondary. McCaffrey will be joined by All-Pro tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings.
Purdy led the NFL with a passer rating of 113.0 on 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a completion rate of 69.4%. McCaffrey led the NFL with 1,459 running yards and 14 rushing touchdowns for San Francisco. He also had 564 receiving yards for seven touchdowns.
Kittle totaled 65 catches for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns. Aiyuk led the way, with 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. Samuel accumulated 1,117 yards from scrimmage.
The Detroit pass rush, led by Aidan Hutchinson, was vicious last week. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn designed techniques that allowed players to get to Mayfield unscathed.
Shanahan and Glenn should play a great chess battle.
Special Teams
Late in the season, Michael Badgley replaced Riley Patterson as the Lions’ kicker. Badgley made all six field goal tries and is 20 of 22 on extra points. His longest field goal was 54 yards.
Jake Moody, the Niners’ rookie kicker, has made 22 of 27 field goals and 63 of 64 extra-point attempts. His longest field goal was 57 yards.
Lions punter Jack Fox had a net average of 41.7 yards, while San Francisco’s Mitch Wishnowsky had a 42.7.
COACHING
Lions coach Dan Campbell is 2-0 in the playoffs, having turned the squad around after going 4-19-1 in his first 24 games. He is an aggressive coach who will not hesitate to go for it on fourth down or even attempt a fake punt.
Shanahan is 7-3 in the playoffs and hoping for his second Super Bowl appearance in five seasons. He was Atlanta’s offensive coordinator when the Falcons lost a 28-3 lead over Tom Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl 51.
