ALLEN PARK — It’s not that it’s been 32 years since the Lions have been to an NFC Championship game. That doesn’t really play into the preparation for Sunday’s matchup at San Francisco.
The 49ers have been to the NFC Championship game four of the last five years. It’s all new territory for most of the Lions.
Coach Dan Campbell will not try to calm them down if they’re too emotional at kickoff.
“I’m not pulling them back, we’re going. They’ll adjust on the fly. We’re going in, they’ll be ready,’’ Campbell said.
Throughout the week, the media attention has been more intense with more national and local coverage and more expected of Campbell and the players, per the NFL guidelines.
In the meantime, Campbell has tried to treat this as another preparation week for just another game.
“The football stuff is no different than it was getting ready for Kansas City in Week One. It’s identical,’’ Campbell said on Friday. “I feel like we’ve handled it well. That’s the whole of it. I feel like we’re handling that well, that portion of it.’’
The Lions beat the Rams and the Bucs in the first two rounds of the playoffs to reach this point. So it’s not like it’s the first go-around for all these guys. It’s just that a win on Sunday will earn them a trip to the Super Bowl.
Still first things first and Campbell knows that.
“This is the next game and they’ve done this all year. Our guys have done it all year. We’ve done things right, we understand what it’s going to take, we respect the opponent, know what they’re capable of. We know exactly what we’re capable of,’’ Campbell said.
Five things to watch:
1. Jared Goff and the offense will have to break through linebackers Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner to find success moving the ball. “Both those guys are really dang good. And I’ve been fortunate, or unfortunate, to be on the other side of the ball from them quite sometimes. And they’re really good. They’re both very smart. They’re both very fast,’’ Goff said. “They both play sideline to sideline. They’re both involved in the run game and the pass game. And yeah, lot of respect for both those guys.”
2. The Lions have excelled at stopping the run – they’re rated second in the NFL – and they can’t let up against Christian McCaffery and the 49ers offense. It is key to their plan. “You’ve got to stop the run because if you don’t, they’ll rush for 250 on you and then they won’t even worry about passing. Everything has to start there,’’ Campbell said. “Look, (coach Kyle) Shanahan does an unbelievable job of – he’s going to work one side and make you overreact and then he counters off of it and then he play-passes off of it and works the middle of the field. So, look, you’ve got your hands full in both regards. And (QB Brock) Purdy does a hell of a job. They throw a lot of daggers middle of the field, and he does a hell of a job with touch, timing, rhythm, but we have to stop this run game. It just has to start there.’’
3. While tight end Sam LaPorta has been golden for the Lions, tight end George Kittle has done it for years for the 49ers at a high level. Trying to contain him is key. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said it’s all about matchups “Because for a linebacker to cover him, that’s where the speed and agility come into play. And when a safety has to cover him, that’s when a size factor comes into play. So, the thing is we have versatile players on our end too, alright, that can do a good job of covering that player. But listen, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy,’’ Glenn said. “They just know they’ve got to be on their P’s and Q’s to get ready to cover that player, so he’s one of the best in the League. He’s an elite player. What he does that’s different from most tight ends is his ability to block. I think he’s tough, he’s gritty, he’s physical and he has the receiving skills to beat you in a number of different ways..”
4. The Lions’ multi-dimensional offense can be a headache for defenses. Amon-Ra St. Brown and LaPorta top the list along with rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs who has scored a touchdown in each of the first two playoff games. “He’s improved in everything. I mean, I think you can see that. His protection has improved and that’s not something that – you say, ‘Well, we got him in here to protect.’ No. But he’s got to be able to do it and he’s grown leaps and bounds in that regard,’’ Campbell said. “I think you see he’s getting better in the pass game out of the backfield. That was somewhere we felt like there was a ton of room to grow. And it’s getting better, and better, and better. And he’s still got so much room to go there. But his running ability, his vision, he’s just, to me, he really is a complete back that’s continued to develop. But really I felt like the – we played the Ravens early in the year and that’s when you felt like, ‘Alright, here come – the light’s coming on.’ And he’s just, every week, gotten better, and better, and better. So, he’s playing at a high level right now.”
5. Campbell and GM Brad Holmes built this team to play anywhere at any time. They’ve found success on the road this season with a 6-3 record. It may help that Goff is familiar with the 49ers Levi’s Stadium from his time with the Rams. It won’t be as loud as it was at Ford Field – not a chance – but it will be a hostile environment. It’s a long way for Lions’ fans to travel but it’s expected about 20 percent of the crowd will be wearing Honolulu blue. While the weather will be the same for both teams, the Lions are not used to playing in outdoor stadiums.
INJURY UPDATE: WR Kalif Raymond (knee) and G Jonah Jackson (knee) are out; CB Chase Lucas (illness) and QB Hendon Hooker (tooth) are questionable. Also, TE Zach Ertz was not elevated from the practice squad so will not be active.
PREDICTION: Lions 27, Niners 24. This is likely to come down to the wire. Campbell says the Lions were built for this, now they have a chance to prove it.
Lions Lowdown 