The Detroit Lions want payback. After blowing a big halftime lead to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game last January, the Lions have not been shy about their desire to win this game in Santa Clara, regardless of postseason implications. But the 49ers, who have struggled this season, don't sound like they're just going to roll over and allow the Lions to come into Levi's Stadium and dominate the defending NFC Champions.
But it won't be easy for the 49ers. Their defense, which has been up and down all season, faces the league's best offense. And San Francisco's rookie defensive coordinator, Nick Sorensen, squares off against one of the hottest names on the coaching market, Lions offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson. On paper, it seems like a big advantage for the team from Motown.
This week, Head Coach Kyle Shanahan sat down with Greg Papa for a new episode of NBC Sports Bay Area's "49ers Game Plan." Shanahan knows the 49ers will have their hands full against a dynamic Lions offense. So is this the best offense the 49ers have faced this season?
"Yeah, definitely," Shanahan told Papa. "It starts with their o-line. That's really what is special...They'll probably have four Pro Bowlers on their o-line this year." And when you add in the talent they have at running back, tight end, wide receiver, and quarterback, it's no wonder the Lions offense averages over 32 points per game. And that doesn't even mention the scheme and playcalling from their talented offensive coordinator.
Papa asked Shanahan about the struggles of a difficult season, and how he wants to end 2024. Shanahan answered just how we might expect him to.
"I want to end it by beating Detroit," Shanahan said. "This year hasn't been a successful year for us. We'd like to finish it a strong way, as strong as possible. Not getting into the playoffs has been a huge disappointment for us, and we've had to deal with that.
"But we've got two more games here, and being able to play a team who a lot of people are saying is the best team in the league, one that, we all know the history from last year, so that's gonna be fun for both of us to go through that. Nothing would be better than upsetting them and ruining their chance at the one seed and having a game that we can be proud of."
Again, that's easier said than done. So what are Shanahan's goals for the game that will help the 49ers pull off the upset? He discussed how the 49ers have failed to create turnovers (only one in the last month) and are making mistakes by turning the ball over and committing untimely penalties.
"If we don't take the ball away from guys, the way they can get explosives, how they do it on defense, it's going to be tough," Shanahan said. "It's time for the ball to bounce the right way and us to get some. If we can get some turnovers, when it comes to their offense, they do everything well. But it always starts with stopping the run."
Stopping the run and creating turnovers is the key to the 49ers beating the Lions on Monday. Unfortunately for San Francisco, they haven't been able to do either in the second half of this season.
You can watch Papa's full interview with Shanahan below: