The Detroit Lions are not lacking in confidence heading into their NFC Championship Game matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. They know it will be tough going on the road and defeating the No. 1 seed in the conference, but are confident they can get the job done.
They have looked good in their first two playoff games, defeating the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both of those games were played in front of a raucous crowd at Ford Field in Detroit; now, they will be heading to the West Coast.
Defeating the 49ers is no easy task. They are loaded with All-Pro players on both sides of the ball and have an excellent coaching staff. But, the Lions have a strong staff of their own led by head coach Dan Campbell.
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Dan Campbell, Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions Updates
One of the players the Lions will have to figure out a game plan to slow down is running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey had an incredible season and is a true dual-threat, capable of dominating as a runner and pass catcher.
If the Lions want to have any chance at defeating the 49ers, they know they have to slow down McCaffrey. Campbell revealed how the team could try and limit the explosive San Francisco running game.
“Stop the run. Still the run,” Campbell said, via SI.com. “You 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. And yes, that’s what 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 play passes off of it and it works the middle of the field,” Campbell continued. “So, you got your hands full in both regards, you know?”
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Dan Campbell, Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions Updates
The Lions are going to be getting a fully healthy McCaffery to deal with. While he was seen getting his quad worked on during their Divisional Round matchup against the Green Bay Packers, head coach Kyle Shanahan has given full clearance on his star running back.
While slowing down McCaffery will be important for the Lions, the Packers did provide a bit of a game plan on how to compete with the 49ers. They were able to get the ground game going with Aaron Jones, helping keep the time of possession battle nearly even.
For the Lions to find success, they too need to control the tempo. Luckily for them, they have an excellent running back duo in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to rely on in that regard.
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