After two exciting home wins in Detroit, the Lions (12-5) are heading to San Francisco to take on the 49ers (12-5) in the NFC Championship with a trip to Super Bowl LVIII on the line.
The Lions will face the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium today, Sunday, January 28th at 6:30 p.m. EST on FOX.
Both teams fought to get to this point. The Lions defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round and then beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round. Detroit snapped a nine-game postseason losing streak - the longest in NFL history, which dated back to 1992 when they defeated the Rams. The Lions also hosted two home playoff games for the first time in franchise history. Detroit will ride that momentum into their first NFC title game since 1991.
Meanwhile, the No. 1 seed San Francisco 49ers earned a first-round bye and then won a close come-from-behind contest against Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round. Unlike the Lions, who will be in unfamiliar territory, San Francisco will be competing in the NFC Championship for the third straight season.
This matchup will mark the third all-time playoff meeting between the two teams.
Let’s take a closer look at everything you need to know ahead of the NFC Championship.
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How did the Lions play in the regular season?
In Dan Campbell’s third season as the Detroit head coach, the Lions tied a franchise record with 12 regular season wins en route to clinching their first NFC North title since 1993.
A strong offensive front propelled the Lions to success in the regular season, led by QB Jared Goff. The signal caller ranked second in passing yards (4,575) and fourth in touchdown passes (30) in the regular season.
He had plenty of helps from RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery tallied a career-high 13 rushing TDs in the 2023 season and Gibbs ranked first among rookies in rushing TDs (10). Montgomery and Gibbs became the first pair of teammates in NFL history each with 1,000+ scrimmage yards and 10+ rushing TDs in the same season.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is another offensive weapon for Detroit, finishing tied for second in the NFL with a career-high 119 catches and 10 receiving touchdowns in the regular season.
On the defensive side of the ball, Aidan Hutchinson recorded career-highs in sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (14) in the 2023 season.
Together, the Lions will look to keep their season alive and upset the 49ers on Sunday night.
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How did the 49ers play in the regular season?
Unlike the Lions, the 49ers are no strangers to the big stage. This Sunday, they will compete in the NFC Championship for the third straight year and fourth time in the past five seasons.
In his first season as the 49ers starting QB, Brock Purdy turned enough heads to enter the MVP conversation. He led the NFL in QB rating (113.0), ranked third in TD passes (31) and fifth in passing yards (4,280) in the regular season.
Purdy had offensive help from Pro Bowler Christian McCaffrey. In his first full season with the 49ers, McCaffrey led the NFL in scrimmage yards (2,023) and rush yards (1,459).
Wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel also provided an offensive boost. Aiyuk recorded 75 receptions for a career high 1,342 receiving yards. Samuel notched 60 catches for 1,117 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season, though his status remains questionable for Sunday due to a shoulder injury.
Nick Bosa continued to lead the defensive front with 10.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in the 2023 campaign.
As the No. 1 seed, the 49ers have high expectations entering the NFC Championship, but looked vulnerable in a narrow win over the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers last weekend.
Who is favored to win the NFC Championship: Lions or 49ers?
The 49ers are seven-point favorites over the Lions in the NFC Championship.
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How many times have the 49ers been to the NFC Championship?
This Sunday will mark the 49ers 19th NFC Championship appearance, the most in the NFL since 1970.
San Francisco will be making their seventh appearance in the NFC Championship game since 2011. The 49ers have gone 2-4 in those matchups, three of which have come under coach Kyle Shanahan since 2019.
When was the last time the 49ers went to the Super Bowl?
The 49ers last appeared in the Super Bowl in the 2019 season: Super Bowl LIV. They lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-10.
San Francisco hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 1994 (Super Bowl XXIX) when they defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 49-26.
Have the Lions ever been to the NFC Championship?
The Lions have not played in the NFC Championship since 1991 against Washington, where they lost, 41-10. That matchup is the only previous NFC Championship game appearance in Detroit’s history.
Have the Lions ever made it to the Super Bowl?
Because the Lions have lost the only NFC Championship game they have played in, the team has also never made a Super Bowl appearance. Detroit is the only NFC team and one of four teams overall, along with the Browns, Jaguars and Texans, to never reach the Super Bowl.
Who played in last year’s NFC Championship?
Last year’s NFC Championship matchup featured the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles won handily, 31-7, to advance to the Super Bowl.
How to watch Lions vs. 49ers:
- When: Today, Sunday, January 28th
- Where: San Francisco, Calif. (Levi’s Stadium)
- Time: 6:30 p.m. EST
- TV Channel: FOX
How to watch NFL coverage on Peaco*ck:
NBC Sports has you covered through the rest of the NFL postseason, with PFT Live, Simms Unbuttoned, Fantasy Football Happy Hour, Rotoworld Football Show, Bet the Edge and Brother from Another breaking down the latest news and top storylines from all angles. Tune in to Peaco*ck, the NFL on NBC Sports YouTube channel, or wherever you get your podcasts for all the coverage through Super Bowl LVIII and beyond.
PFT Live:
Mike Florio and Chris Simms will be live every weekday at 7 a.m. ET leading into Super Bowl week and then the show will be live from Las Vegas every weekday at 1 p.m. ET. Watch on Peaco*ck or YouTube.
Simms Unbuttoned:
The show will be airing Wed., Jan. 24; Thur., Jan. 25; Mon., Jan. 29; and Wed., Jan. 31 from Stamford and then Tues., Feb. 6 and Fri., Feb. 9 from Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII. Watch on Peaco*ck or YouTube.
Fantasy Football Happy Hour:
Matthew Berry and Co. will be live on Thur., Jan. 25 and Mon., Jan. 29 at 12 p.m. ET before going on hiatus until Super Bowl week where they will be live from Las Vegas every weekday on Peaco*ck at 12 p.m. ET. Watch on Peaco*ck or YouTube.
Rotoworld Football Show:
Patrick Daugherty, Denny Carter and Kyle Dvorchak will be giving fantasy analysis on the top NFL storylines every Tues. and Thur. leading into Super Bowl week and then ramping it up to three shows (Tues., Wed., Thur.) from Las Vegas. Watch on YouTube.
Bet the Edge:
Betting analysis from Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick will be published every weekday at 6 a.m. ET. Watch on YouTube
Brother From Another:
The show will be live every weekday during Super Bowl week at 3 p.m. ET. Watch on Peaco*ck and YouTube.
