In this week’s Honolulu Blueprint, we examine what the Detroit Lions need to do to secure a victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara.
NFC Championship – Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Detroit Lions (13-2) are set to face the San Francisco 49ers (6-9) on Monday Night Football for a Week 17 showdown. To leave Santa Clara with a win, the Lions must execute the strategies outlined in this week’s Honolulu Blueprint.
49ers’ Offensive and Defensive Schemes
For a comprehensive analysis of the 49ers’ schemes, check out our breakdown in the Lions Week 17 Preview.
Strategy 1: Repeat Pin-Pull and Traps-Whams from the NFC Championship
Despite a new defensive coordinator for the 49ers, their defensive approach remains largely unchanged under head coach Kyle Shanahan. Lions quarterback Jared Goff noted, “Yeah, there’s differences, there’s slight differences, but a lot of it’s the same. And we’re slightly different (too) and a lot of what we do is the same, so we’ll see if we change much or add some things and I’m sure they will as well. You always expect a little bit of a wrinkle when the game comes.”
The Lions should revisit their successful pin-and-pull blocking scheme from last year’s NFC Championship. This approach leverages the right formations, skilled players, athletic linemen, and speedy backs to get outside quickly, exploiting the 49ers’ aggressive front with trap blocks from the offensive line and wham blocks from the tight ends. This strategy should allow Detroit’s running attack to get to the edges and into open space.
Strategy 2: Get Jahmyr Gibbs Into Space
With David Montgomery sidelined, the Lions will rely heavily on Jahmyr Gibbs. In Week 16 against the Bears, Gibbs played 45 snaps and accumulated 154 yards from 27 touches (23 rushing, 4 receiving). Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson emphasized, “I think less in the total number of carries and more about the reps… we really nailed that. And so [Jermar] Jefferson and Craig [Reynolds] came in and we didn’t miss a beat when they came in and spelled him for a little bit.”
The 49ers’ defense primarily plays zone coverage, dropping their back seven 71% of the time and blitzing only 17.8% of the time, which leaves gaps on the edges. This creates an opportunity for Gibbs to exploit those areas, especially with the 49ers’ defense focusing on coverage.
Strategy 3: Have Jamo Attack the Single-High Safety
Jameson Williams had a breakout performance against the Bears, recording five receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown. Johnson remarked, “That’s the potential that Jameson [Williams] has to this offense… it’s a beautiful thing to see a post versus single-high like that.”
The 49ers often deploy a single-high safety look (57% of the time), which means the Lions should send Williams deep to stretch the defense. This could open up additional space for Gibbs in underneath routes, further disrupting the 49ers’ coverage.
Strategy 4: Take the Short Passes
The 49ers’ defensive strategy is focused on keeping plays in front of them and limiting yards after catch (YAC). Detroit’s short passing game is one of the best in the NFL, with 2,383 YAC on the season (second most in the NFL). Amon-Ra St. Brown excels in these situations, boasting an 81.5% catch rate. The Lions should leverage these quick throws and allow their playmakers to gain YAC.
Additionally, the Lions rank fifth in third-down conversions (46.7%), while the 49ers’ defense allows conversions 41.9% of the time (24th in the NFL). Detroit should also feel confident on fourth down, where they convert 69.2% of the time, compared to the 49ers’ 61.9% (19th in the NFL).
Strategy 5: Play-Action Works
The Lions are among the top teams in the NFL at using play-action, which has been highly effective for Jared Goff. Detroit runs play-action 36.3% of the time, the most in the NFL. When they do, Goff completes 73.7% of his passes with a 125.5 passer rating. The 49ers’ pass defense, which is typically in the top 10, drops to 20th when facing play-action. The Lions should continue to exploit this advantage.
Strategy 6: Red Zone Execution
Detroit has been impressive in the red zone this season, scoring touchdowns on 67.7% of their trips (fourth best in the league). Defensively, they allow only 50% of red zone trips to result in touchdowns (seventh best). In contrast, the 49ers struggle in this area, converting only 51.3% of their red zone trips into touchdowns (25th), while allowing 65.3% of opponent red zone trips to result in touchdowns (31st). Capitalizing on red zone opportunities will be crucial for Detroit.
Strategy 7: “Outwill” the 49ers in the Run Game
San Francisco’s running game has been severely impacted by injuries, leaving their offensive line and backfield shorthanded. Despite this, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn knows the 49ers’ run game remains a mental challenge. He said, “We know they’re going to run it, they know they’re going to run it, and their mentality is, ‘Listen, you’re going to have to stop it.’”
The Lions’ defense has been stout against the run, allowing just 59 rushing yards to the Bears last week. Detroit must match the 49ers’ physicality and be prepared to shut down their run game early to avoid letting it gain momentum.
Strategy 8: Stack the Box
Though counterintuitive, stacking the box against the 49ers’ struggling run game is a smart strategy. When facing a light box, the 49ers rank seventh in rushing offense. However, when facing a stacked box, they fall to 10th, while the Lions’ run defense improves to ninth. Detroit should aim to stack the box and neutralize the 49ers’ run game.
Strategy 9: Contain and Squeeze
The Lions did a good job containing Bears quarterback Caleb Williams last week and will need similar awareness against Brock Purdy. Last week, the Lions didn’t squeeze the pocket effectively, which is something they must correct to limit Purdy’s ability to extend plays. Purdy had a solid game against the Dolphins, completing 65% of his passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns. Detroit must generate pressure to disrupt his rhythm.
Strategy 10: Blitz
The Lions have leaned heavily on blitzing to generate pressure, increasing their blitz rate to 41.1% since losing Aidan Hutchinson. The 49ers handle blitzes well, but with a makeshift offensive line, Purdy may struggle more than usual. The Lions’ press man coverage has been highly effective when blitzing, and they rank as the top coverage unit in the NFL when employing this strategy. Detroit should dial up the pressure to disrupt Purdy and take advantage of his vulnerabilities under duress.
By following these strategies, the Lions will increase their chances of coming away with a crucial win over the 49ers.
