4 Keys to Victory for Lions against San Francisco 49ers
Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions have a mighty tough task ahead of themselves in their Week 1 tilt with the San Francisco 49ers Sunday at Ford Field.
Here are the four things Campbell's squad must do in order to pull off the victory.
1.) Contain 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa
From all accounts, the third-year player and Ohio State Buckeyes product is healthy and ready to go for San Francisco's season opener in Detroit.
The 2019 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year is coming off a season in which he played in only two games due to a torn left ACL.
He's expected to line up at right defensive end Sunday. And, if such occurs, Lions rookie right tackle Penei Sewell and right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai, barring a position change for either of them to left tackle in place of the injured Taylor Decker, would be tasked with containing the highly productive pass-rusher.
It'd be an extremely demanding inaugural test for the first-year pro in Sewell. And, I don't envision either the Oregon product or Vaitai having much success in staying in front of Bosa and keeping him away from Lions signal-caller Jared Goff.
But, if Detroit wants to pull off the win, it will need a solid game from both O-linemen.
2.) Get after 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
The Lions must generate consistent pressure against Garoppolo Sunday.
The 49ers are a run-first team that isn't built for dropping back and passing all game long.
So, if Detroit is able to get Garoppolo & Co. into passing downs often enough, the team's pass-rush needs to wreak havoc.
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn needs to let Romeo Okwara loose, along with the team's other linebackers, and put him in position to get in Jimmy G's face. By doing so, it will only increase Detroit's chances of forcing turnovers and securing the upset victory.
Cary Edmondson, USA TODAY Sports
3.) Get T.J. Hockenson involved in the passing game early and often
Hockenson didn't play in a single preseason game, but established a solid rapport with Goff in the offseason as they trained together in California.
Expect Hockenson, who was a full participant in practice this week, to be Goff's go-to target throughout the 2021 campaign.
At this point, he's Detroit's best receiving option, and I believe that Lions offensive play-caller Anthony Lynn is readily aware of that.
The former Iowa Hawkeyes tight end has a difficult matchup ahead of him Sunday, with San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner patrolling the middle of the field. However, if Hockenson is able to put together a solid game, it undoubtedly increases Detroit's chances of coming out on top against the 49ers.
4.) Establish the ground game
Not only will the Lions need to contain Bosa in order to protect Goff, but they'll also need to block Bosa and fellow defensive end Dee Ford in order to establish a ground attack against San Francisco.
This will be easier said than done, though, as oftentimes during the preseason, Detroit struggled to run the football due to its inefficiency in sealing off the edges.
It will need to do a much better job of this Sunday, or second-year running back D'Andre Swift will surely have a tough time bouncing to the outside and getting around Bosa and Ford for positive yardage plays.
This is a huge must, if the Lions want to have any chance at capturing the Week 1 victory.
- Subscribe to the AllLions podcast on iTunes
- Like and follow AllLions on Facebook
- Follow us on Twitter: @detroitpodcast @vitojerome @llamorandier @danielkellybook @CBooher_
- Follow Detroit Sports Podcast on Instagram: @detroitsports_podcast
Become a premium AllLions member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and gets you a FREE subscription to Sports Illustrated! Click on the link below for more
