SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Make no mistake: There are some similarities between the two NFC teams playing for a spot in Las Vegas’ Super Bowl LVIII in the conference title game Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
But the contrasts between the favored 49ers and darling underdog Lions are striking.
This is classic case of new school versus old school, with the flash of the 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan’s innovative eye-candy motion offense taking on the grit and hunger of the Lions, who’ve never advanced to a Super Bowl in franchise history, have just three playoff wins dating back to 1967 and are in the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Detroit is seeking its first playoff road win since 1957, which came against the 49ers.
Since then, Detroit has lost 11 straight road playoff games, the longest road losing streak in NFL postseason history.
The 49ers, meanwhile, are playing in their fourth NFC Championship game since 2019 and have 37 players on their current active roster with at least three playoff wins.
Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers head coach, is known for his constant motion offense.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell, after he talked about biting opponents’ knee caps off in his introductory press conference three years ago, wears a ball cap with the words “GRIT’’ on it and talks himself into tears at times as he speaks about his players and their will to win.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff after last week’s divisional-round home win over the Buccaneers, called Campbell “the best leader I’ve ever been around.’’
When those words were relayed to Campbell — who looks like such a tough guy that he actually would bite your knee caps off if you crossed him — he had tears in his eyes.
And Goff is hardly the only Lions player who has said those words about their head coach.
Shanahan, the son of former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan, is stoic by comparison, rarely showing any emotion in public.
For as hungry as the Lions are with their record postseason drought, the 49ers have been waiting a year to get back to this game and make it right after losing to the Eagles last season when starting quarterback Brock Purdy was injured.
“You worked so hard all season long,’’ 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said. “We talked about it all season. To be able to put ourselves in a position where we can play the NFC Championship game again. We did that. We have that opportunity right now. I know the type of team we have, the type of players we have and talent. I know if we play our best ball for three hours, we’ll get the job done.”
The Lions, who have become America’s team, feel the same way.
“There’s four teams left, and these are the times you dream of as kid, and you grow up hoping to be in these final games,” said Goff, who went to the Super Bowl with the Rams five years ago. “We’re one win away from our ultimate goal of getting to the Super Bowl and winning that game as well.”