Why Lions’ passing game has to succeed against 49ers’ secondary

Facing off the best secondary it has seen this season, the Lions’ passing attack must be strong to hold onto the one seed.

The fans, players, and staff have wanted revenge against the San Francisco 49ers since the Detroit Lions lost to them in the NFC Championship game last season. Back in May when the schedule was announced, this game was circled by many, and with it being a “Monday Night Football” matchup it was primed to be a big-time game in December. Seven months after the schedule was announced, only one team is heading to the playoffs and fighting for the top seed in the conference, while the other team is using this game as a playing experience for its young players.

This game isn’t the highly contested matchup people were wanting and expecting, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a walk in the park for the Lions. Despite having a losing record, the 49ers are still a tough team to go up against. Their defense will certainly be tested as they face the Lions who lead the NFL in points scored with 493 (32.9 per game). A reason the Lions are scoring a lot? The passing game led by quarterback and MVP candidate Jared Goff and his weapons in wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and tight end Sam LaPorta.

The Lions offense will play some tough teams in the playoffs, and this passing offense will be leaned on with star running back David Montgomery banged up. Facing off against the 49ers will be a good test before postseason play begins. Here’s why I believe the Lions passing game must come alive against the 49ers on “Monday Night Football.”

49ers secondary is tough

The 49ers secondary is no joke. While they aren’t elite, they are one of the best units in the NFL this season. The Lions have yet to play anybody this good in the secondary, and might not play a secondary better until the NFC Championship game. The 49ers have the second-highest coverage grade in the NFL according to PFF (89.7), only behind the Philadelphia Eagles . The 49ers have allowed the third-fewest passing yards this season (183.3 per game), the fewest 20+ passing yard plays (31), third-fewest yards per attempt (6.6), tied for fifth-fewest touchdowns allowed (18), and seventh-lowest QB rating allowed (86.1).

Last season when these two teams played, Goff threw for 273 yards with only one touchdown, completing 60.9 percent of his throws, and got sacked twice. The difference between that offense and this one is the removal of wide receiver Josh Reynolds and left guard Jonah Jackson, replacing them is wide receiver Tim Patrick and right guard Kevin Zeitler. Both of those moves are upgrades for the offense, even if the Lions are without wide receiver Kalif Raymond this week due to injury.

Cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green are the biggest threats against the Lions. Green has the highest coverage grade (76.5), and both players each have nine pass deflections, and only two touchdowns allowed between them. Safety Ji’Ayir Brown can also be a helpful assistant to that duo as he is the highest-graded safety on the team (69.4), and has only allowed two touchdowns, but he was limited in practice on Thursday so his status is unknown for Monday. Even if Brown can’t play, Lenoir and Green will be enough to challenge Detroit.

Lions wide receiver depth will get tested

If Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown are going to be contained by Green and Lenoir, Tim Patrick, Allen Robinson, or potentially Tom Kennedy will need to step up and make a play or two. Patrick hasn’t been shy of making plays for the Lions this season, getting 31 catches for 379 yards and three touchdowns.

Brock Wright time?

It’s not just the wide receivers who will have to step up facing off against the 49ers passing defense, the tight ends have to get involved as well. The last time the two teams played, tight ends played a critical role in the passing game. LaPorta was the leading receiver for Detroit in January, getting nine catches for 97 yards up against one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL, Fred Warner.

LaPorta might not have the same success as last year, as the 49ers might want to focus on containing him more this time around. LaPorta’s sophomore year hasn’t been as explosive as his rookie year, getting 47 catches for 599 yards and six touchdowns. If LaPorta is contained in the passing game too, one player in the tight end room who could break out is Brock Wright.

While he didn’t impact the game against the 49ers last season, that doesn’t mean he isn’t an impactful player. The 49ers saw something in Wright and tried to sign him to a three-year deal for $12 million to be the backup behind their tight end, George Kittle. Detroit matched that deal to keep him around, so the 49ers know what Wright is made of. He won’t be under the radar for San Francisco, but with the defense focused on LaPorta, Williams, and St. Brown, Wright could leak out and make a few clutch plays for this offense.