Dan Campbell said it's unlike any defense the Lions have seen this season. Ben Johnson called the linebacker duo "the best in football." That's before mentioning the reigning Defensive Player of the Year up front, and the ballhawks in the backend who came down with the most interceptions in the NFL. Awaiting the Lions' elite offense Sunday in San Francisco is an equally elite defense.
Which puts a grin on Johnson's face, and a smile on the face of Jahmyr Gibbs, who knows the Lions offensive coordinator "always accepts the challenge."
"He likes going against a very good defense," Gibbs said Thursday, "because it gives him an opportunity to scheme up something new."
The 49ers surrendered the third fewest points in the NFL this season (17.5 per game). The Lions scored the fifth most (27.1). They will collide Sunday with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line. Johnson knows it will be a fist fight, where one big blow could change the outcome. The Lions lead the NFL in plays of 20-plus yards. The 49ers rarely give those up.
"This is a very fast defense, a tacking-style defense upfront and certainly at the second level as well. And then on the backend, they’re super feisty. So we’re going to have to start fast and combat their aggressiveness with play-speed and knowing exactly what we’re doing," said Johnson.
There are playmakers on the Niners defense everywhere you look. Nick Bosa is one of the best pass rushers in the game, and there's Chase Young on the other edge. Javon Hargrave is a stud on the interior, and there's Arik Armstead right next to him. Fred Warner is arguably the best linebacker in the NFL, and there's his sidekick Dre Greenlaw. In the secondary, there's Pro Bowl corner and the NFL's leader in passes defended this season Charvarius Ward.
And there's Johnson, steely-eyed and poised for the fight.
"I’ve seen him being more serious this week," receiver Jameson Williams said Thursday. "I probably haven’t seen a smile from him, so I guess he’s ready for sure."
Here's the thing: the Lions offense is just as loaded. It starts with their line, which is fully capable of slowing the 49ers pass rush and getting a push on the ground. The Niners rarely blitz, so it will be a game of one-on-ones up front, like Bosa against Lions All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell. Johnson said it does "help you sleep a little bit better knowing that some of their best players are going against some of your best." If the Lions have an edge, it's probably their third-ranked red-zone offense. The 49ers red-zone defense was middle of the pack.
The Lions can match up with anyone in terms of weaponry. 49ers tight end George Kittle may have put it best this week he said of Detroit's offense, "LaPorta’s fantastic, St. Brown’s fantastic, Goff is playing at a high level, and hey, their running backs are pretty damn good as well." Indeed, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery were the first pair of teammates in NFL history this season to put up 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 rushing touchdowns each. Williams and Josh Reynolds are receiving threats of their own.
"We got some stars," said Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow. "You look at Penei Sewell, he’s one of the most special athletes I’ve ever been around in my life. St. Brown, Jahmyr, Jared, I mean, you can go down the list. Maybe haven’t gotten quite the publicity, but I think a few years from now you’ll be talking about a lot of these guys."
Ragnow said the move that Gibbs made to freeze All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. on his go-ahead 31-yard touchdown in the Lions' divisional round win over the Bucs last week was "one of the best cuts I've ever seen."
"He’s just a special running back, and to think he’s only a rookie is pretty cool. He’s got that combination of that dynamic speed and those cuts, but he’s also strong and powerful. And he had some very impressive blitz pickups as well, which I like a lot," Ragnow said with a smile.
The Lions have the ammo to win a shootout, which is where Sunday's game could be headed. It will likely come down to how well they can protect Goff. Campbell said the last time they saw a defense that attacks the quarterback like the 49ers without having to blitz was the Jets late last season. The Ravens might be the closest comparison this season, and they held the Lions to a season-low six points back in October.
"So it's going to be a challenge," said Johnson.
And one that he'll relish.