The 49ers are a tremendously talented squad, and the Lions will be playing them in San Francisco. Which mismatch is the biggest?
On Sunday, the Detroit Lions play the 49ers in the NFC Championship game, which will take place in San Francisco. There aren’t many teams that can argue that they are more well-rounded than the Lions, even the Niners. They have a formidable defense, a strong presence in the trenches, an extensive array of weapons at the offensive skill spots, and a reliable quarterback.
I’m becoming more and more astounded at how wonderfully these two squads match up. On the outside will be Nick Bosa vs. Penei Sewell, while on the inside will be Javon Hargrave vs. Frank Ragnow. While the Lions will start Alex Anzalone against Christian McCaffrey, Sam LaPorta will take on Fred Warner, one of the greatest linebackers in the league. As one of the quickest players, former Michigan Wolverines CB Ambry Thomas should be used by the Niners to mimic Jameson Williams.
However, there are two genuine mismatches that catch my attention. First, there’s Amon-Ra St. Brown. Nobody has been able to stop him as he has had his way with many corners this year, including Pat Surtain, Jaire Alexander, and Jaylon Johnson. I don’t think anybody can fully neutralize St. Brown, even with how strong the Niners’ defense is. The fact that Talanoa Hufanga, a 2022 All-Pro safety, is on IR won’t help them either.
Brandon Aiyuk of the 49ers, a wide receiver, is the other mismatch. Cam Sutton will probably follow Deebo Samuel around all day if he plays through his shoulder issue on Sunday. This implies that Aiyuk and Kindle Vildor will probably face off for the most of the day.
Even though he is just six feet tall, Aiyuk uses every pound of his 200-pound build for play. Vildor has been getting most of the CB2 snaps lately, thus it bothers me to see him holding Aiyuk in check the whole game.
In the end, I believe that this is the largest mismatch between the two teams, and I’m interested to see where the gaps appear when the two squads that are most complete in the league play on Sunday. Which of the 49ers’ and Lions’ mismatches on Sunday do you believe is the biggest? Share your opinions with us in the comments section.
