The top-seeded San Francisco 49ers will host the No. 3-seeded Detroit Lions on Sunday to determine who will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
On the home team bench, the 49ers own the second-longest streak in history, making a conference championship game in each of their last seven playoff runs.
The Lions' two playoff wins are more than they have achieved in the last 65 years combined. Their only playoff victory during that stretch came in 1991, when they reached the NFC title game.
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy throws against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of a game on December 17, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
Let's take a look at the key points from this matchup to see who may have the advantage on Sunday.
Will Deebo Samuel play?
One of the big questions heading into Sunday is whether versatile 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel will play.
Samuel injured his left shoulder in last week's win over the Green Bay Packers and was unable to play for most of the game.
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As a result, the 49ers' offense did not perform as well as head coach Kyle Shanahan would have hoped, and the two games Samuel missed during the regular season resulted in similar problems.
However, he began practicing on a limited basis Thursday and began to move in the right direction. Samuel's presence in this offense, whether he has the ball in his hands or not, is a huge plus for the 49ers and the rest of their talented weapons.
Stopping the race
If you think the Lions are the only team that needs to worry about the running game on defense because of Christian McCaffrey, think again.
David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have provided a one-two punch this season that produced the fifth-best rushing offense per game (135.9 yards), while San Francisco ranked third (140.5 yards) with McCaffrey leading the league in rushing this season. anus.
Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Ford Field on December 16, 2023 in Detroit. (Rey Del Río/Getty Images)
While both teams can establish the run, they are also good at stopping it.
The Lions allowed 88.8 rushing yards per game, the second-best mark in the league. The 49ers were right behind them with 89.7 rushing yards allowed per game.
So that area of the matchup is similar, but McCaffrey provides an advantage.
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Montgomery's tough running style combined with Gibbs' ability to make people miss anywhere on the field will provide San Francisco's defense with a tough challenge.
Aidan Hutchinson needs to come home
The 49ers' pressure on Goff will be on throughout the game with multiple stars, including Nick Bosa and Chase Young, leading the way. For the Lions, the responsibility of getting to Brock Purdy will fall to Aidan Hutchinson, the second-year man from Michigan.
Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions plays against the Las Vegas Raiders at Ford Field on October 30, 2023 in Detroit. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
When Purdy has a clean pocket, he is one of the most accurate and efficient quarterbacks in the league, finding weapons like Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle in the passing game.
Hutchinson has reached home at least once in each of the first two playoff games of his career: two sacks against the Los Angeles Rams and one against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hutchinson's alteration of Purdy's pocket will be a key factor for Detroit moving forward.
Exploiting the Lions' secondary
For the 49ers, giving Purdy time to find receivers will be key because Detroit has been suspected of making big plays this season.
Watching the tape of last week's game against the Bucs, quarterback Baker Mayfield tested Lions cornerback Cam Sutton a lot when Mike Evans was paired with him. Evans did well to exploit press coverage and finished with eight receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets.
Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers warms up before a game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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Detroit has allowed 338 yards per game in the playoffs, the most of any team. During the regular season, the Lions gave up the fourth-most passing yards (4,562 total).
how to look
The San Francisco 49ers host the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship on FOX. (FOX)
The 49ers-Lions matchup can be seen on FOX. Coverage of the game begins at 6 p.m. ET and kickoff begins at 6:30 p.m. ET.
