Storybook Lions to face 49ers in San Francisco
The Detroit Lions head into the NFC championship on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET in a season in which the team won its first postseason game since 1991. As the No. 3 seed, Detroit will take on the No. 1 seed San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers appeared in the NFC championship last season, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles following injuries to quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson. The 49ers are home favorites on the spread and on the moneyline.
Lions will look to continue success against the run
This season, the Lions held opponents to just 87.7 rushing yards per game during the regular season, which was second in the league. They allowed 68 to the Los Angeles Rams and 89 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The defense will look to continue that trend against a 49ers offense that averaged 138.9 rushing yards per game (fourth in the league) and posted 111 in the divisional round against the Packers. In that game, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey had 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
49ers’ path to victory potentially includes success through the air
During the regular season, the 49ers averaged 257.2 yards per game through the air. Among all quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks this season, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy led the league in yards per attempt (9.6). He also was fifth in passing yards (4,280) and third in touchdown passes (31). He played 16 of 17 games during the regular season.
In the NFC championship, San Francisco will face a Lions defense that allowed 22.2 completions (18th) and 256.9 passing yards (second most) per game. Including the playoffs, Detroit has allowed the last five quarterbacks it’s faced to throw for 345 yards or more. Before that, the Lions allowed just three quarterbacks to throw for more than 300 yards.
Lions Vs. 49ers player props
Lions Vs. 49ers odds and betting lines
Lions Vs. 49ers head-to-head
Lions Vs. 49ers injury report: Who’s out, who’s starting
As the NFL season heads into its 21st week, the injuries for the 49ers and Lions are stacking up. The Lions saw center Frank Ragnow return to action last week after spraining his knee and ankle, but he’s questionable for this game. Offensive lineman Jonah Jackson had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and will miss the game.
For the 49ers, wide receiver Deebo Samuel left the divisional round early against the Packers, injuring his shoulder. It’s believed to be on par with a similar injury earlier this season that caused him to miss two games.
San Francisco 49ers conference championship injury update: Deebo Samuel questionable
| Player | Injury | Status |
| Danny Gray | Shoulder | Out |
| Clelin Ferrell | Knee | Out |
| Deebo Samuel | Shoulder | Questionable |
Detroit Lions conference championship injury update: Frank Ragnow questionable with sprained knee and ankle
| Player | Pos Position | Injury | Status | Snaps/g Snaps Per Game | Comment | ||||||||||||
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