The 49ers should be confident heading into the NFC championship game. This is their third trip to the conference title game in as many years, and they were without question the NFC’s best team for virtually the entire season. That doesn’t mean they’re just going to throw helmets on the field and win though, particularly against a Lions team that can exploit some of the 49ers’ biggest weaknesses.
Here are three causes for concern for San Francisco as they gear up for the NFC championship game:
Getting YAC'd
Typically it’s the 49ers that have the yards after catch advantage in a game, and they probably still do even in this one. However, Detroit has the horses in the passing game to generate a ton of yards after the catch. Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown led the NFL this season. Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta can move after the catch, as can rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who is as electric as any player in the league with the ball in his hands. The 49ers have to ensure they’re wrapping up and tackling soundly to avoid turning some of the Lions’ quick passing game into explosive plays.
DE Aidan Hutchinson
This is pretty simple. Hutchinson is a menace. He finished No. 7 in Pro Football Focus’s overall pass rush grade. He wound up with 101 pressures, second-most in the league, 11 sacks and a 21.3 percent pass rush win rate which was good for sixth-best in the NFL. He can take over a game, and he’ll get plenty of work against inexperienced 49ers right tackle Colton McKivitz. Look no further than the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Steelers for how dominant a pass rusher can look over McKivitz. TJ Watt posted six pressures and 3.0 sacks in that one. He also forced a fumble. The rest of the Lions’ defensive front didn’t put up monster pass rush numbers, which means the 49ers have to devote plenty of resources to slowing Detroit’s star DE.
Lions on the run
The 49ers did a really nice job all season of stopping the run. That’s partly due to personnel, but it’s also because they were playing from ahead a lot and teams had to abandon their run games. Detroit is going to commit to running behind Gibbs and veteran David Montgomery. They were No. 7 in the NFL in rushing attempts, fifth in rushing yards, and No. 1 in rushing touchdowns this season. In the divisional round they ran it 26 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns against a Buccaneers defense that ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing yards allowed. If San Francisco can’t stiffen up against the run after allowing Packers RB Aaron Jones to rush for 108 yards in the divisional playoffs, it could be a long day for them trying to slow Detroit’s offense.
