The Detroit Lions (13-2), coming off a 34-17 win over the Chicago Bears, play one final road game this week at San Francisco (6-9) on Monday Night Football before returning home to face Minnesota.
Monday’s game marks a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game and the Lions, who have a 7-0 record away from Ford Field so far, have a chance to clinch the coveted No. 1 seed with a win and Minnesota loss in Week 17.
49ers report: Similar to Detroit, San Francisco has been decimated by injury this season with 16 players currently on Reserve/Injured, including star running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and running back Jordan Mason. The injuries combined with five losses by one score or less have dropped the 49ers from NFC West Champions a year ago to last place. San Francisco has already been eliminated from the playoffs.
Following the team’s loss to the Dolphins Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that left tackle Trent Williams (ankle), left guard Aaron Banks (MCL) and tackle Jaylon Moore (quad-strain) will be shut down for the remainder of the season with Williams being placed on IR Thursday. Current starting running back Isaac Guerendo is dealing with a foot and hamstring injury but is trending in the right direction.
Despite the injury bug, San Francisco still boasts a top 10 total defense and offense. In four of their six wins, they’ve limited opponents to 20 points or less, including holding Chicago to just 13 in a 38-13 blowout win in Week 14. Offensively, the 49ers average 31.5 points in wins, including five games with more than 30 points.
Last meeting: Detroit’s 2023 season ended at the hands of San Francisco at Levi’s Stadium in the NFC Championship Game. Despite the Lions building a 24-7 halftime lead with touchdown runs by Jameson Williams, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, San Francisco scored 27 points unanswered. Quarterback Jared Goff connected with Williams on a 3-yard touchdown pass in the final minute, but the 49ers recovered the onside kick to solidify a 34-31 win.
In the hunt:
- AFC: 8. CIN (8-8), 9. IND (7-8), 10. MIA (7-8)
- NFC: 8. SEA (9-7), 9. TB (8-7)
*z: Clinched No. 1 seed, home-field advantage and first-round bye
*y: Clinched division
*x: Clinched a playoff spot
Quick hits:
1. Linebacker Fred Warner is one of two NFL players since 2000 (Roquan Smith) to record 115-plus tackles in each of their first seven seasons.
2. Tight end George Kittle has 20 career games with 100-or-more receiving yards and is just one of four tight ends in NFL history to register 20 such games in the first eight seasons of their career.
3. Quarterback Brock Purdy is seeking his 10th career game with at least 300 passing yards and currently ranks fifth in franchise history in that category.
Data dive:
Stats are based on Weeks 1-16 followed by the rank.
Next on the schedule:
- San Francisco: at Arizona*
- Detroit: vs. Minnesota*
*Date and time are TBD
Here are five 49ers storylines to follow into Monday night’s matchup:
1. Brock Purdy: ‘We play for each other’
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy spoke with the media about the supporting an injury-decimated offensive line and the team’s mentality ahead of Monday night’s game vs. Detroit. WATCH
2. Sorensen, Foerster: ‘Lions are a great challenge’
49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen and run game coordinator/offensive line coach Chris Foerster addressed the media about offensive line adjustments and the task at hand with the Lions. WATCH
3. 49ers place Trent Williams on IR, sign OL Matt Hennessy to a two-year deal
San Francisco placed tackle Trent Williams on Reserve/Injured Thursday, part of a few transactions to address injuries to the team’s offensive line. READ MORE
4. Kyle Shanahan previews ‘Monday Night Football’ against the Lions
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with the media, sharing injury updates and previewing Monday’s NFC Championship Game rematch. WATCH
5. Dre Greenlaw to not play in final two games of 2024 season
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw will not play vs. Detroit Monday after being shut down with a calf injury, adding more responsibilities for leading tackler Fred Warner. READ MORE (Content is in Spanish)
