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Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers: 2024 NFC Championship game preview, head to head record, history
After two exciting home wins in Detroit, the Lions (12-5) are heading to San Francisco to take on the 49ers (12-5) in the NFC Championship with a trip to Super Bowl LVIII on the line.
The Lions will face the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, January 28th at 6:30 p.m. EST on FOX.
Both teams fought to get to this point. The Lions defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round and then beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round. Detroit snapped a nine-game postseason losing streak – the longest in NFL history, which dated back to 1992 when they defeated the Rams. The Lions also hosted two home playoff games for the first time in franchise history. Detroit will ride that momentum into their first NFC title game since 1991.
Meanwhile, the No. 1 seed San Francisco 49ers earned a first-round bye and then won a close come-from-behind contest against Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round. Unlike the Lions, who will be in unfamiliar territory, San Francisco will be competing in the NFC Championship for the third straight season.
This matchup will mark the third all-time playoff meeting between the two teams.
Let’s take a closer look at everything you need to know ahead of the NFC Championship.
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How did the Lions play in the regular season?
In Dan Campbell’s third season as the Detroit head coach, the Lions tied a franchise record with 12 regular season wins en route to clinching their first NFC North title since 1993.
A strong offensive front propelled the Lions to success in the regular season, led by QB Jared Goff. The signal caller ranked second in passing yards (4,575) and fourth in touchdown passes (30) in the regular season.
He had plenty of helps from RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery tallied a career-high 13 rushing TDs in the 2023 season and Gibbs ranked first among rookies in rushing TDs (10). Montgomery and Gibbs became the first pair of teammates in NFL history each with 1,000+ scrimmage yards and 10+ rushing TDs in the same season.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is another offensive weapon for Detroit, finishing tied for second in the NFL with a career-high 119 catches and 10 receiving touchdowns in the regular season.
On the defensive side of the ball, Aidan Hutchinson recorded career-highs in sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (14) in the 2023 season.
Together, the Lions will look to keep their season alive and upset the 49ers on Sunday night.
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How did the 49ers play in the regular season?
Unlike the Lions, the 49ers are no strangers to the big stage. This Sunday, they will compete in the NFC Championship for the third straight year and fourth time in the past five seasons.
In his first season as the 49ers starting QB, Brock Purdy turned enough heads to enter the MVP conversation. He led the NFL in QB rating (113.0), ranked third in TD passes (31) and fifth in passing yards (4,280) in the regular season.
Purdy had offensive help from Pro Bowler Christian McCaffrey. In his first full season with the 49ers, McCaffrey led the NFL in scrimmage yards (2,023) and rush yards (1,459).
Wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel also provided an offensive boost. Aiyuk recorded 75 receptions for a career high 1,342 receiving yards. Samuel notched 60 catches for 1,117 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season, though his status remains questionable for Sunday due to a shoulder injury.
Nick Bosa continued to lead the defensive front with 10.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in the 2023 campaign.
As the No. 1 seed, the 49ers have high expectations entering the NFC Championship, but looked vulnerable in a narrow win over the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers last weekend.
Who is favored to win the NFC Championship: Lions or 49ers?
The 49ers are seven-point favorites over the Lions in the NFC Championship.
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How many times have the 49ers been to the NFC Championship?
This Sunday will mark the 49ers 19th NFC Championship appearance, the most in the NFL since 1970.
San Francisco will be making their seventh appearance in the NFC Championship game since 2011. The 49ers have gone 2-4 in those matchups, three of which have come under coach Kyle Shanahan since 2019.
When was the last time the 49ers went to the Super Bowl?
The 49ers last appeared in the Super Bowl in the 2019 season: Super Bowl LIV. They lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-10.
San Francisco hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 1994 (Super Bowl XXIX) when they defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 49-26.
Have the Lions ever been to the NFC Championship?
The Lions have not played in the NFC Championship since 1991 against Washington, where they lost, 41-10. That matchup is the only previous NFC Championship game appearance in Detroit’s history.
Have the Lions ever made it to the Super Bowl?
Because the Lions have lost the only NFC Championship game they have played in, the team has also never made a Super Bowl appearance. Detroit is the only NFC team and one of four teams overall, along with the Browns, Jaguars and Texans, to never reach the Super Bowl.
Who played in last year’s NFC Championship?
Last year’s NFC Championship matchup featured the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles won handily, 31-7, to advance to the Super Bowl.
How to watch Lions vs. 49ers:
- When: Sunday, January 28th
- Where: San Francisco, Calif. (Levi’s Stadium)
- Time: 6:30 p.m. EST
- TV Channel: FOX
How to watch NFL coverage on Peacock:
NBC Sports has you covered through the rest of the NFL postseason, with PFT Live, Simms Unbuttoned, Fantasy Football Happy Hour, Rotoworld Football Show, Bet the Edge and Brother from Another breaking down the latest news and top storylines from all angles. Tune in to Peacock, the NFL on NBC Sports YouTube channel, or wherever you get your podcasts for all the coverage through Super Bowl LVIII and beyond.
PFT Live:
Mike Florio and Chris Simms will be live every weekday at 7 a.m. ET leading into Super Bowl week and then the show will be live from Las Vegas every weekday at 1 p.m. ET. Watch on Peacock or YouTube.
Simms Unbuttoned:
The show will be airing Wed., Jan. 24; Thur., Jan. 25; Mon., Jan. 29; and Wed., Jan. 31 from Stamford and then Tues., Feb. 6 and Fri., Feb. 9 from Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII. Watch on Peacock or YouTube.
Fantasy Football Happy Hour:
Matthew Berry and Co. will be live on Thur., Jan. 25 and Mon., Jan. 29 at 12 p.m. ET before going on hiatus until Super Bowl week where they will be live from Las Vegas every weekday on Peacock at 12 p.m. ET. Watch on Peacock or YouTube.
Rotoworld Football Show:
Patrick Daugherty, Denny Carter and Kyle Dvorchak will be giving fantasy analysis on the top NFL storylines every Tues. and Thur. leading into Super Bowl week and then ramping it up to three shows (Tues., Wed., Thur.) from Las Vegas. Watch on YouTube.
Bet the Edge:
Betting analysis from Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick will be published every weekday at 6 a.m. ET. Watch on YouTube
Brother From Another:
The show will be live every weekday during Super Bowl week at 3 p.m. ET. Watch on Peacock and YouTube.
The San Francisco Giants have been undergoing a huge change to the franchise this offseason. After firing Farhan Zaidi, they hired Buster Posey to be the new President of Baseball Operations and he has been looking for a general manager. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, San Francisco is expected to announce Zack Minasian will serve the role.
Minasian will be elevated from his previous role as Vice President of Professional Scouting for the team, being hired by Farhan Zaidi in 2019. Buster Posey had stated multiple times that he was looking for someone with a background in scouting to take over the role, so Minasian fits that criteria well.
Before his time with the Giants, Minasian spent 14 seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers where he served in roles such as Professional Scouting Director and Manager of Minor League Scouting. His lengthy background in the scouting world will give Posey what he was looking for.
A hire from within the team isn’t exactly surprising, but most thought they would want to go outside of the organization to bring in some new thoughts under Posey. However an in-house hire was always a possibility, but most thought it would be Jeremy Shelley, who has been with the team for over 20 years.
Minasian’s hire means that he and his brother Perry, the GM of the Los Angeles Angels, are the first pair of brothers to be active general managers at the same time. He is also the godson of legendary Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda.
With the new general manager hire under the their belt, San Francisco can now put their focus fully into the offseason. Rumored to be in the running for players like Juan Soto and Roki Sasaki, as well as multiple trades, Minasian will have a handful right away.
Supporters of Prop. K have promoted the measure by saying it will allow for the creation of a new park.
“In a city with many dangerous streets, Ocean Beach Park will be a place for people of all ages, especially seniors and children, to walk without fear,” said Brian Quan, a Richmond District resident who serves on the executive committee of the Sierra Club.
In response to complaints from drivers who rely on the road to get to work, Quan said closing the Great Highway to cars would allow the city to adjust the westside traffic design for future generations rather than just focus on current needs.
State Senator Scott Wiener is speaking out after the California DMV is making a lot of people cringe.
In recent months, San Franciscans have been getting drivers licenses, listing the city as “San Fran.”
Wiener, who called it “a grave injustice,” posted a photo on his social media page and it showed the misprint.
Wiener added that he’s now sending the DMV a “cease and desist” letter. He demands the agency immediately stop doing it.
He also called it slander, saying “no self-respecting San Franciscan would ever use that phrase.”
NBC Bay Area reached out to the California DMV. They said its aware of the issue and that they’ve already made a fix.
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