What are the Lions’ chances of making it to their first Super Bowl?
The largest game the Detroit Lions have played in thirty-two years is in three days.
This season, the Lions have proven they deserve their “stripes” in every manner.
For the first time in thirty years, they won a division championship and twelve games during the regular season.
Not only that, but they’ve won two games in the same postseason for the first time since Detroit won the NFL championship in 1957.
Ironically, in order to go to the league championship game that year, the Lions needed to defeat their opponent on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers. In case you were curious, Detroit defeated Jim Brown and the Cleveland Browns by a score of 59–14 to win the championship.
All of that occurred long before the author was born.
In the present day, the Lions have an opportunity to do a feat they have never accomplished before: qualifying for the Super Bowl.
Detroit must defeat the 49ers to extend its incredible season, but it will be easier said than done.
Without a doubt, San Francisco will be the Lions’ most formidable postseason opponent.
With a variety of playmakers on both sides of the ball, the Kyle Shanahan-led 49ers are well-prepared for their fourth NFC Championship Game in five years.
They have four first-team All-Pro picks this season alone: tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, and running back Christian McCaffrey. They can both inflict some dread on Dan Campbell’s team and cause some harm on Sunday.
But San Francisco has much more difference-making skill than that. Additionally, it features several Pro Bowl defenders in EDGE, two exceptional receivers in Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, and a more-than-capable quarterback in Brock Purdy. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, and Nick Bosa.
It would be negligent of me to overlook the fact that Warner’s linebacker counterpart, Dre Greenlaw, is likewise a terrific tackler (120 total tackles in 2023).
I could go on and on about the 49ers’ impact players. However, for the sake of this post, I won’t.
I’ll concentrate on just one player instead, the previously mentioned Deebo Samuel.
Samuel, who hurt his right shoulder during the 49ers’ victory over the Packers in the divisional round, missed practice on Wednesday and might have to miss the team’s game against Detroit in the NFC championship.
The 49ers will undoubtedly suffer a significant loss if he is unable to play. During the previous regular season, San Francisco went 12-3 with the versatile player and 0-2 without him.
Subsequently, the fifth-year receiver’s health is one of the biggest variables headed into Sunday, and could weigh heavily on the Lions’ chances of pulling off the upset win.
As for Detroit on the injury front, it appears as if it will be without Jonah Jackson, its starting left guard, for its first NFC Championship Game appearance in 32 years. Jackson tore his meniscus in his left knee in the Lions’ divisional playoff win over the Buccaneers.
Detroit’s victory over San Francisco will require them to play at a “A” level. The Lions will give the 49ers everything they can handle on Sunday, though I’m not sure if that’s even possible.
At this point in time, I’ll give Detroit a 51.5 percent chance to make Super Bowl history and win the franchise’s first ever championship.
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