The 49ers are coming off of a 24-14 defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Lions are coming off of a 35-27 victory against the New Orleans Saints.
On defense, the 49ers registered four sacks on Bengals QB AJ McCarron. LB Ahmad Brooks had a sack and has 5 on the season and 46 for his career. DB Jimmie Ward and S Eric Reid each brought down McCarron for the first sack of their careers while NT Ian Williams recorded his first sack of the season and second of his career. Williams recovered a Bengals RB Jeremy Hill fumble for his first career fumble recovery just one week after recording his first career forced fumble.
LB NaVorro Bowman had his highest Pro Football Focus rating (+5.8) of his career against the Bengals. This week, he learned that he would join 49ers LT Joe Staley at the Pro Bowl. It is Bowman's third career selection and Staley's fifth straight.
| SF W15 Top Performers | DET W15 Top Performers |
| LB NaVorro Bowman (+5.8) | LT Riley Reiff (+3.0) |
| DE Quinton Dial (+5.7) | CB Quandre Diggs (+2.6) |
| NT Ian Williams (+5.2) | QB Matthew Stafford (+2.5) |
| CB Jimmie Ward (+4.7) | CB Darius Slay (+2.0) |
| LB Ahmad Brooks (+3.2) | WR Golden Tate (+2.0) |
Long eliminated from playoff contention, the Lions are playing much better than at the start of the season. They have won four of their last six. A lot of that is due to the play of QB Matthew Stafford, who on Monday against the Saints, went 22 of 25 for 254 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Over the past four weeks, Stafford has a 116.6 passer rating and has thrown 12 touchdowns in his last five.
While the Lions have averaged only 84.4 yards rushing per game, they have averaged 115.8 over the past five weeks. The Lions are 4-2 when they rush for more than 100 yards.
The 49ers will be without two key offensive lineman against the Lions. LG Alex Boone and the player that was filling in for him against the Cincinnati Bengals, OL Marcus Martin, have been ruled out. RB Shaun Draughn, who was injured on Sunday, has also been ruled out with a knee injury. Kendall Gaskins, newly signed DuJuan Harris, and recently promoted Jarryd Hayne are the remaining healthy running backs currently on the roster. LB Michael Wilhoite will also miss Sunday's game.
Kickoff: Sunday, December 27 at 10:00 AM PT
Television: The game will be televised on FOX (Check 506 Sports to see if it is local)
Bay Area Radio: KGO 810 & The Bone 107.7 (Other radio affiliates)
Spanish Radio: KTRB 860
Australian Radio: Triple M
All-Time Matchup: 49ers lead series 37-27-1
Last Meeting: 9/16/12, 49ers win 27-19, at SF
Current Streak: Won 9
Betting: The Lions are 10.5 point favorites
NFL Fan Picks: 80% pick the Lions to win according to Yahoo! Sports
49ers Fan Picks: Within our Pick 'em Contest, 78% believe the Lions will win
49ers Schedule: View full schedule
Lions News: Lions news at Problitz.com
Follow Game Online: NFL.com's Game Center
Discuss: Niner Talk forum
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Injury Report
| Pos | Player | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | |||
| LG | Alex Boone | Knee | IR |
| RB | Shaun Draughn | Knee | Out |
| OL | Marcus Martin | Concussion | Out |
| LB | Michael Wilhoite | Ankle | Out |
| DT | Arik Armstead | Shoulder | Probable |
| LB | NaVorro Bowman | Shoulder, finger | Probable |
| CB | Tramaine Brock | Hamstring | Probable |
| LB | Ahmad Brooks | Shoulder, back | Probable |
| DT | Quinton Dial | Shoulder | Probable |
| LB | Eli Harold | Shoulder, hamstring | Probable |
| CB | Dontae Johnson | Ankle | Probable |
| LB | Aaron Lynch | Concussion | Probable |
| G | Erik Pears | Knee | Probable |
| WR | Torrey Smith | Back, foot | Probable |
| T | Joe Staley | Knee | Probable |
| S | Jaquiski Tartt | Knee | Probable |
| Detroit Lions | |||
| CB | Dwight Bentley | Illness | Questionable |
| LB | Josh Bynes | Foot | Questionable |
| WR | Calvin Johnson | Ankle | Questionable |
| DT | Haloti Ngata | Neck | Questionable |
| T | Michael Ola | Knee | Questionable |
| S | Glover Quin | Concussion | Questionable |
| DT | Caraun Reid | Ankle | Questionable |
| G | Larry Warford | Quadricep | Questionable |
Game Averages (Rank)
| 49ers | Lions | |
|---|---|---|
|
14.4 (32nd)
|
Offense Pts
|
21.6 (20th)
|
|
291.4 (32nd)
|
Offense Yds
|
344.8 (19th)
|
|
197.5 (30th)
|
Offense Pass
|
260.4 (9th)
|
|
93.9 (24th)
|
Offense Rush
|
84.4 (31st)
|
|
24.2 (18th)
|
Defense Pts Allowed
|
25.9 (28th)
|
|
390.3 (27th)
|
Defense Yds Allowed
|
352.1 (18th)
|
|
261.7 (26th)
|
Defense Pass Allowed
|
239.6 (12th)
|
|
128.6 (27th)
|
Defense Rush Allowed
|
112.6 (19th)
|
Related Articles
Articles to be added as they become available.
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