San Francisco 49ers: Three keys to Sunday’s matchup with the Detroit Lions
By Frank Yien
The San Francisco 49ers look to rebound from their week one loss as they host Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions. Three areas hold the key to the Niners’ success.
The San Francisco 49ers practiced this week without the participation of some key personnel that were banged up in last week’s 24-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Yet, despite the injuries, the Niners enter the weekend as six-point favorites against the Detroit Lions, who are still licking their wounds from Monday night’s 48-17 thumping at the hands of the New York Jets.
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The Lions had no bright spots in their loss to the Jets last week as they looked ill-prepared for the start of the season. However, quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Golden Tate have the skills and experience to bounce back.
Meanwhile, the 49ers showed some encouraging signs last week against Minnesota. The Niners defense held the Vikings scoreless in the final 20 minutes, which kept the game close and gave the Niners a chance to win, until late in the fourth quarter.
The loss to the Vikings was due more to mistakes, which can be cleaned up, rather than an inability to execute, which is a much bigger problem.
With both teams looking for their first victory this season, how the 49ers perform in three key areas will help determine their success for week two as well as the rest of the season.