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Detroit Lions look to extend Cinderella run by snapping 13-game road losing streak against 49ers

Lions have longest road playoff losing streak in league history at 11 consecutive

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 12: Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions plays against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field on September 12, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) (Gregory Shamus, 2021 Getty Images)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Cinderella story for the Detroit Lions has been extended another week after they took down the Tamp Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional round inside Ford Field.

Awaiting them in the NFC Championship is the vaunted San Francisco 49ers, against whom the Lions don’t have the best of record.

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The game will be played inside Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday (Jan. 28) at 6:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to Super Bowl LVIII.

Both teams come into the matchup ranking top two in touchdowns, yards per game, and red zone efficiency in the NFC, but Detroit has not won on the road against the 49ers in their last 13 attempts dating back to 1975.

SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 2: Punt returner Ralph McGill #49 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball against the Detroit Lions at Candlestick Park on November 2, 1975 in San Francisco, California. The Lions defeated the Niners 28-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Getty Images) (1975 Michael Zagaris)

To make Sunday even more daunting, the Lions are currently on an 11-game road playoff losing streak, the longest in NFL history.

The last time the Lions beat the 49ers in the playoffs was when they won their most recent championship in 1957.

Hall of Fame quarterback Y.A. Tittle (14) of the San Francisco 49ers completes a handoff to fullback Gene Babb (32) during the 49ers 31-10 loss to the Detroit Lions on November 17, 1957 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by George Gelatly/Getty Images) (George Gellatly/WireImage.com)

Read: Rare piece of Detroit Lions championship gear is up for auction

The 49ers have a plethora of weapons, like running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, defensive lineman Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, Chase Young, linebacker Fred Warner, quarterback Brock Purdy, wide receivers Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and left tackle Trent Williams to name a few.

Although Detroit does not have the caliber of players that San Francisco has, they’re no slouch themselves with quarterback Jared Goff, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, tight end Sam LaPorta, right tackle Penei Sewell, offensive tackle Taylor Decker, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, and former Michigan Wolverines superstar Aidan Hutchinson to name a few.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 12: Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions plays against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field on September 12, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)

Over these past couple of years, although 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has accomplished some remarkable feats like making it to the Super Bowl and falling short to Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs or falling short in the championship game to Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams or falling short to Jalen Hurts and his Philadelphia Eagles.

At the same time, the Lions have made strides, including hiring head coach Dan Campbell, who has brought the struggling franchise back from misery by winning 22 of his last 29 games.

Read: Detroit Lions head coach gives leadership masterclass during postgame locker room speeches

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell greets running back David Montgomery (5) after a play during the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Some of those victories were statement wins, like ending the Green Bay Packers career of Aaron Rodgers inside Lambeau Field.

Read: Detroit Lions conquer Lambeau Field, eliminating Green Bay from playoff contention

The team in Honolulu Blue then opened the season by spoiling the Chiefs ring celebration inside Aarowhead Stadium.

‘Let’s go Lions’: Detroit emerges victorious in stunning road victory over Chiefs in season opener

The Lions then, despite a late game surge by Jordan Love and the Packers, went back into Lambeau Field and dismantled the cheeseheads on Thursday Night Football during a short week.

Read: Detroit Lions use plethora of weapons to shred Packers, stay atop NFC North

For the second time since 1957 and for the first time since 1991, the Lions won a playoff game after toppling Stafford and his Rams in the NFL Wildcard Round.

‘He went to Jared’: Monumental play by Goff helps Lions spoil reunion for Stafford in Detroit

Thanks to an unlikely hero, they took down Baker Mayfield and his Buccaneers in the NFL Divisional Round to advance to the NFC Championship for the first time since 1992.

Read: The Buc stops in Detroit as an unlikely hero helps Lions advance to first NFC Championship in 32 years

In 1992, when the Lions made their last trip to the NFC Championship game, iPods did not exist. There was no such thing as a text message.

Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Myspace did not exist yet. Playstation and Xbox weren’t a thing, and Blackberry phones were just a thought.

If that doesn’t make you feel old, most of the Lions skilled players like Goff, St. Brown, Gibbs, LaPorta, and Hutchinson hadn’t been born yet.

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) celebrates his 12-yard rushing touchdown with a teammate during the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/David Dermer) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The Lions are the only team remaining in the final four not to win a Super Bowl in their franchise’s history, and they are the only team remaining to have not even played in the game of games.

But the Lions have the right pieces to do the unthinkable Sunday night.

Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson reacts as he leaves the field following an NFL football NFC divisional playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, in Detroit. The Lions won 31-23. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Hutchinson has 12 quarterback pressures this postseason, four more than the next pass rusher. The second-year starter has 10 pass rush wins, four more than the next man on the list. He also leads the postseason in sacks with three, one more than the next man on the list.

When the Green Bay Packers took on the 49ers, they ran the ball down their throats, especially Aaron Jones, who toted the rock 18 times for 108 yards.

Give Montgomery and Gibbs those same opportunities and see how they chew up grass like Pac-Man chews up pellets. With the run game popping off, look for Goff to dime up his receiving targets with the play-action passing attack.

Detroit has been shattering records lately, so it’s time for them to go into Levi’s Stadium and snap another streak while extending their winning streak to three and advance to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

If you’re superstitious, the Lions announced that they will wear their all-white uniforms in the championship game. The color combination remains undefeated, as Detroit is 4-0 when they wear that combo in 2023.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) celebrates his touchdown catch with quarterback Jared Goff (16) during the second half an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

About the Author
Brandon Carr headshot

Brandon Carr is a digital content producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with WDIV Local 4 since November 2021. Brandon is the 2015 Solomon Kinloch Humanitarian award recipient for Community Service.

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