‘Defense Wins Championships’ and the Detroit Lions are the Only Team Left Without an Elite Top-3 Defense

The Detroit Lions are near the bottom of the NFL with the 23rd-ranked scoring defense. They allow 23.2 points per game. They have allowed an average of 23 points in the two playoff games they have played thus far.

The Lions allow 336.1 yards per game which makes them 19th in overall defense. They have allowed 416.5 yards per game in the playoffs. The only playoff teams to allow more yards per game in the playoffs, the Packers and the Cowboys, have been eliminated.

One bright spot on the Lions defense is their rush defense. They have the second-best rush defense in the entire league as they have allowed just 88.8 yards per game on the ground this season. Their rush defense has stepped up in the playoff, allowing just 78.5 yards per playoff game.

One big reason for their strong rush defense is interior defensive lineman Alim McNeill. His ability to take on double teams and fight through run blocks allows for other defense playmakers in the front seven, like edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, to make plays on the edge.

Hutchinson has been playing a much improved version of defense throughout the home stretch. Hutchinson recorded eight sacks in the last four games, but his impact is felt beyond the pass rush.

The Detroit Lions will be going up against one of the most productive offense in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers ranked second in total offense this season with 398.4 yards per game. They were just under three yards behind the leading offense, the Miami Dolphins.

The 49ers score the third most points per game with 28.9. The Lions have one of the best rushing defenses in the leagues, so the 49ers will be forced to air it out with quarterback Brock Purdy.

Purdy and the 49ers have the fourth-best passing offense in the league as they average 257.9 points per game. Purdy, who was mr. irrelevant and the last pick of his draft, said he plays with a chip on his shoulder in an article from ESPN.

“That’s sort of been the theme of my life in a sense,” he said. “I was drafted last … and here’s that mindset again. And I feel like this time, I haven’t let it go and I don’t want to lose it.”

The 49ers had one of the only running backs to even sniff the MVP conversations in Christian McCaffrey. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield will be the difference in this game as the strong Lions run defense has the tools hold the 1,500 yard rusher in check.

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