The Detroit Lions are inches away from making history. After winning the 1957 championship, the Silver Crush managed to win only once in the playoffs in 1991. Then, after a 32-year drought, they are once again back in the race—set to clash with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship. If they manage to win this matchup, the Lions will finally make their first Super Bowl appearance since its inception. So, it’s safe to say the stakes are very high, especially since a few key players like Jonah Jackson won’t be taking the field.
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According to ESPN’s Jerry Fowler, the Pro Bowler guard underwent surgery for a slight meniscus tear. Head Coach Dan Campbell said that there’s uncertainty around Jonah and that he will very likely sit out the upcoming game. However, there’s a very good chance that Jonah will make a return to the Super Bowl if the Lions are able to clinch the NFC championship without him. OT Kayode Awosika, who was signed to the practice squad in September, is poised to take Jonah Jackson’s place.
“It doesn’t look real good for next week,” Campbell said. “But we’ll see,” as per the Detroit Free Press.
As per ESPN, linebacker James Houston is still questionable. He had an incredible season last year, even leading in sacks among other rookies in the league. However, he has failed to leave a mark since his return three weeks back and will very likely sit out the NFC Championship bout. Moreover, wideout Kalif Raymond and linebacker Alex Anzalone are also questionable as of January 24th.
Detroit Lions Sunday Championship Game Schedule
Jared Goff and his Lions excelled last week at Ford Field while hosting the Rams. The entire arena chanted Goff’s name throughout the matchup after he led his unit to their second playoff victory this season, mere weeks after decisively ending the 3-decade-long divisional title drought. It sure has been a roller coaster; however, the Lions will now have to face the 49ers at their home turf, Levi’s Stadium, as the latter have clinched the top NFC seed this season.
This matchup is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. You can catch this highly anticipated bout on FOX and FuboTV. As per BetMGM, the Niners are a 7-point home favorite against the Lions. The odds favor Brock Purdy and his side of -300 on the money line, while the underdogs are at +240.
The Lions might be the underdogs in the upcoming matchup, but there’s a strong chance that the 49ers offense falters since star wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s status is nothing but uncertain after his shoulder injury.
Defensive end Nick Bosa hasn’t yet made any impact in his last few postseason appearances; therefore, he finally needs to make a sack in order to tame the Lions. Even Chase Young has struggled to effectively block the run in the past few games, which could only be beneficial for the Silver Crush.
Last but not least, Brock Purdy narrowly avoided a loss in the last game with his earlier mistakes. Whether it was the rain or ineffective play-calling efforts, it could have turned sideways very fast if it wasn’t for the late-game touchdown drive. So, it’s safe to say that the Lions will be more than underdogs in the upcoming matchup.
