It will be difficult to defeat Detroit for the NFC crown even if David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs can outrush Christian McCaffrey.

It happened true in 1957 when the 49ers were down 27-7 at Kezar Stadium, but the Detroit Lions rallied for three touchdowns on the ground to win 31-27 and go to the NFL Championship Game.

It was accurate in 1983 when the 49ers managed to escape with a 24-23 victory at Candlestick Park

after the Lions ran for 188 yards on 35 runs, including 114 yards and two touchdowns from Billy Sims in an NFC divisional playoff game.

Detroit’s field goal attempt at the gun was missed.

And when the 49ers play Detroit in the NFC Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium on February 11th

with a trip to Super Bowl LVIII on the line, it’s a hard fact that traditional football will play a big role in determining which club ends up in Las Vegas.

With Brock Purdy and Jared Goff, the top-seeded 49ers (13-5) and third-seeded Lions (14-5) share a similar passing game

that can go from excellent to great when the running game is on track and defenders are closing in.

Coach Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers stated

The Lions stick with the run, regardless of who they play.” They carry it out each game. It occupies a major portion of their work. They have excellent balance. They remind me of our offense, I believe.

The 49ers have depended on NFL leader and first-team All-Pro rusher Christian McCaffrey, who has 1,495 yards, as their top runner.

The Lions, on the other hand, have Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Jahmyr Gibbs (945 yards) and veteran David Montgomery (1,015 yards).

McCaffrey has scored 21 touchdowns. Gibbs, at 200 pounds, and Montgomery, at 224 pounds, have combined for 23 points; Gibbs received 10 and Montgomery received 13.

Statistics proved Shanahan’s claim that the Lions were “a lot like us” to be accurate.

This season, the Lions ranked ninth in terms of rushing with 2,311 yards on 500 carries and 27 ground touchdowns.

The 49ers were marginally superior; they had 27 touchdowns and 2,389 yards on 499 carries to place sixth.

Goff and the passing game have benefited from Detroit’s rugged offensive line, which is anchored by tackle Penei Sewell.

49ers linebacker Fred Warner observed, “They have big guys who are athletic and play with the right mindset, then you add the two-headed monster at running back in Montgomery and Gibbs.”

You have two weapons: your physical prowess as a runner and your quickness and speed. They can strike you on the outside as they run downhill.

The 49ers, who allowed 4.1 yards per carry versus the run this season as opposed to 3.4 the previous one, are no longer quite the unbreakable force they were a year ago.

They’ve played well at times, but they’ve also struggled at times, most notably last week in a 24-21 divisional victory over Green Bay and against Cleveland and Arizona.

With 108 yards on 18 carries against the 49ers, Aaron Jones of the Packers became the first player to surpass 100 yards in 44 games.

The 49ers have two backs to consider when facing the Lions.

Steve Wilks, defensive coordinator for the 49ers, remarked,

“They do a great job running the ball.” “I believe that the one-two punch of Gibbs and Montgomery is most likely the greatest of the season. They run in different styles, yet they both accomplish their goals well.

Throughout Wilks’s Thursday media session, the topic of run defense and the risk of overloading to stop it kept coming up.

“You focus so much on stopping those guys that you occasionally become a little more aggressive, going downhill,” Wilks remarked.

That applies to the secondary as well, because you are suddenly exposed to a vertical passing game over the top,

in addition to the linebackers. We will need to make an effort to lessen it, and one way to do so is by trying to make them seem one-dimensional.

The Lions’ recent regular-season and postseason victories against the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers

have given the 49ers hope. They are averaging 87.7 yards per game and 3.6 yards per rush.

The 49ers will have a better chance of pursuing a comparatively immobile target in Goff on passing plays if they can contain the Detroit runners.

The 49ers lost a somewhat unremarkable starter on a squad full of stars when defensive end Clelin Ferrell sustained a knee injury.

Ferrell’s expertise, though, was creating a scarcity that forced opponents’ runners inside.

Chase Young, who is more explosive but not always as disciplined when it comes to setting an edge, took his place in the starting lineup.

Defensive end Nick Bosa stated, “We definitely got hit on a lot of crack tosses and weren’t fitting ’em great,

but it’s a play we’re going to see with them from (Gibbs) so we’ve emphasized it a lot.”

After missing five games, defensive tackle Arik Armstead is returning for the second straight week, and according to Bosa, this will help the 49ers.

In-season additions Young and Randy Gregory have improved the strategy, and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw is coming off one of his greatest games, in Bosa’s opinion.

Jones scored his 108 points for the Packers, but linebacker Dre Greenlaw cautioned against assuming there would be an automatic carryover.

“Aaron Jones is an exceptionally talented back.” He doesn’t run in a boyish manner.

Are we concerned about Detroit running the ball? Greenlaw remarked, “He runs like he’s the largest player on the field. Our duty is to go out and put an end to it.

It all comes down to knowing fits and trying our best so that, even in the event that the call isn’t ideal, it can still be fantastic.

“We are not in a panic over what transpired last week. We adapt, grow from it, and carry on.