In a series we call “10 Questions with Twentyman,” Tim Twentyman will respond to ten thoughtful questions each week from his Twitter account, @ttwentyman, during the season.
1. Stop the run: Similar to Detroit, the 49ers aim to start their offensive there and base the rest of their game plan on it. They ranked third in the NFL in running with 140.5 yards per game. San Francisco was 3-5 this season when they ran for 125 yards or less. One of those was last week’s thrilling victory over Green Bay
2. Run the football: San Francisco’s defense is too strong to try to beat them with a one-dimensional offensive scheme. When a team allows a player to rush for at least 100 yards, the 49ers record is 3–4. When opponents have fewer than 100 rushing yards, they are 10-1. The Lions’ ground total per game was 135.9 yards. Detroit is 5-0 when they have a 100-yard rusher on the season, and they have only failed to reach 100 running yards in a game four times entire year.
3. Tackle: With their potent weapons at the skill positions, the 49ers can convert a modest gain into a lengthy touchdown. Deebo Samuel, a wide receiver with a shoulder injury, is among the finest in the field when he plays. Christian McCaffrey, the running back, can take it all the way home with only one broken tackle. Similarly, George Kittle, a tight end. With 2,237 YAC this season, the 49ers had the fourth-highest YAC in the NFL. Only Miami, Cincinnati, and Kansas City had more. Detroit needs to make good space tackles and rally for the ball.
20man: The 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks, will almost certainly match All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell against All-Pro defensive lineman Nick Bosa in a huge matchup on the right side. Bosa is expected to go to the left side, but this season, he has been paired up with the right tackle more than twice as often (596 reps vs. 266).
This season, Sewell has performed admirably against everybody he has matched up with. All season long, Sewell has given up one sack and six quarterback hits, regardless of the quarterback—Maxx Crosby, Danielle Hunter, Brian Burns, Micah Parsons, or Rashan Gary.20man: Aidan Hutchinson has played a major role in the pass rush’s recent success over the past month. Although he has been pressuring the quarterback all season long—his 118 total pressures presently lead the NFL—he has particularly finished at the quarterback within the last month, which has had a significant effect on this defense.
In his last four games, Hutchinson recorded eight sacks, ten tackles for loss, and eighteen quarterback hits. On Sunday, he’ll probably encounter right tackle Colton McKivitz the most.This season, McKivitz has given up 52 total pressures, 38 hurries, and nine sacks. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the 57th best football tackle of the current campaign.
The best left tackle in football is Trent Williams of San Francisco, who hasn’t given up a sack all year. Anything that the Lions receive from the opposition is a great plus.
20man: I think the 49ers’ defense and Detroit’s offense will compete strength-to-power in the middle of the field. I have a great deal of respect for the 49ers’ defense. Detroit enjoys using deep in routes, and they use the center of the field for a lot of their pass game maneuvers.
Against Tampa Bay, Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 18 of 24 passes for 191 yards and a score, all over the middle of the field. For 158 yards against the Rams, he was 11 of 12 overall. His mid-range throws over the center yielded his highest passer rating of the entire season (96.6).
