Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions might have suffered a disappointing loss to the San Francisco 49ers at the NFC Championship game at Levi’s Stadium, but it wasn’t without its moments for the NFC North champions.

It was a tough contest that saw the Lions lead by two scores at halftime. Unfortunately, they squandered their lead to a resurging San Francisco offense to lose the game in the fourth.

However, there are players within the 49ers locker room who weren’t shy about giving praise to the it opponents.

Tashaun Gipson’s comments on the Detroit Lions shows respect

Tashaun Gipson, the seasoned defensive back for the Niners, was one of the players interviewed after his team secured their Super Bowl berth. During the interview, he wasn’t shy about letting people know how well the Lions played in this game.

“Obviously, they got one of the better O-Lines in the National Football League,” Gipson said.

He also wasn’t shy about praising the tactics Dan Campbell’s staff ran in the first half, particularly how offensive coordinator Benjamin David Johnson used his two running backs. He also showered praise on Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

“And the playcalling, it’s like he knew when to call these [plays]… got to tip my hat off to the OC, for sure,” Gipson detailed. “You got two running backs like that, thunder and lightning. Gibbs is just lightning-fast, man. Montgomery is [a] heck of a player, he doesn’t get enough credit.”

The dynamic running back duo of Gibbs and Montgomery definitely did work on the Niners’ defense throughout the game. Gibbs finished with 45 rushing yards and a TD, while Montgomery had 93 rushing yards to go with his TD.

While it’s a bitter feeling for the Detroit Lions to miss out on the Super Bowl this way, they will be fighting to get back to where they just got. There may be doubts on whether they can do it again, but they just need to believe in themselves and keep the good times rolling in Motor City.

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