What 49ers' Kyle Shanahan, Brock Purdy are saying ahead of NFC title game vs. Lions

This story first appeared in theSan Jose Mercury News.

Santa Clara, Calif. — Four days before the 49ers host the NFC Championship at Levi's Stadium, coach Kyle Shanahan, quarterback Brock Purdy and other key players took to the media podium to discuss Sunday's matchup with the Detroit Lions. Here are the highlights and best sound bites:

DEEBO SAMUEL'S STATUS

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel (shoulder) won’t practice today and his status remains to be determined for Sunday's game, Shanahan says.

Samuel is "feeling better," and, rather than specify the nature of Samuel's injury, Shanahan merely said: "His shoulder hurts," though the coach did say Monday that X-rays revealed no fracture.

Audio: Kyle Shanahan's news conference on Wednesday

Samuel exited Saturday's win after getting hurt on the 49ers' opening possession. Fellow wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk personally expects Samuel to play, adding: "But you just continue to pray for him that he gets better through the week and is out there with us to finish the job."

Quarterback Brock Purdy didn't parse his praise for Samuel's presence, saying: "He’s probably the best playmaker in this league. If you get the ball in his hands, he can do whatever he wants. ... He's got grit. He gives us juice and energy. If he’s not playing, that’s tough, but we’ll have guys who can create that, as well."

No other player is listed on the pre-practice injury report given by Shanahan, who added: "To go into this game with just Deebo on there, it’s pretty good."

PURDY'S MINDSET

Purdy, in the wake of Saturday's 24-21 fourth-quarter comeback win over the Packers, said he's entering this game with a "clean slate."

"It doesn't matter if you play good or bad. You can't take any of that with you the next week," Purdy said. "It's a new game, a new scheme, a new environment. Everything about it is new. It's almost like you have a clean slate.

"You build off the good things you've done, but it's a new game. That's the mental battle that I feel all NFL quarterbacks go through, and that's where the great ones really separate themselves from the others."

Aiyuk shrugged off any outside critiques of Purdy by stating: "We’re all sitting here because of him, obviously. ...  He's steady. A dawg. Just a football player. I love playing football with him. He’s the reason I’m here today with an opportunity this weekend to play my best football, because of a quarterback like him."

Shanahan spread the blame for Saturday's offensive struggles beyond Purdy and off-target passes in the rain. "We’d like to have done better. But the way Brock finished on the last drive, and everybody, we were able to overcome mistakes that we didn’t earlier in the game. Brock did some good things that would have been impossible to win without."

LIONS' DEFENSE

Detroit’s pass defense ranked 27th in the regular season, allowing 247.4 yards per game. But with 23 takeaways, they ranked 18th, and that's enough to give Shanahan pause.

"They're aggressive, and they mix everything up," Shanahan said. "That makes them susceptible to big plays but they also make negative plays. They’re very aggressive, and that makes you hit or miss."

GOFF REVIEWS

Lions quarterback Jared Goff has lost his past five games against the 49ers, dating back to his days with the Los Angeles Rams, including a 2018 season in which Shanahan recalled the Cal product playing at an MVP level.

"When they give him a good scheme with good people around him, Jared’s always going to find the spot. He’ll play at a top level," Shanahan said. "He’ll gash you. You better be on your stuff or he’ll embarrass you fast."

Nick Bosa's take on Goff: "He is the same guy. He's played great in LA and great with Detroit. The key is obviously getting pressure on him. He's got a really good O-line so it makes it tough. If you cover up his first couple of reads, get after him, and hit him a few times, it changes things a little bit."

ON LIONS' RUN GAME

After Aaron Jones (108 yards) became the first opponent to rush for 100 yards in 45 games against the 49ers, Shanahan noted that the run defense was "obviously not good enough" Saturday, with too many explosive runs and too much room around the outside. Now come the Lions who he said, "stick with run; it’s what they do, and it’ll be a huge challenge this week."

Linebacker Fred Warner said the challenge starts up front with the Lions' top-notch offensive line featuring big, athletic players with the right mindset. Then comes the "two-headed monster at running back, with (David) Montgomery and (Jahmyr) Gibbs, who are physical and quick. They can run downhill, hit you in the mouth, run outside."

McCAFFREY LANDS AWARD

Running back Christian McCaffrey was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America. Steve Young (1992, ’94) is the only other player in 49ers history to win that honor, and McCaffrey is the first running back to do so since the Rams’ Todd Gurley in 2017. McCaffrey, who earlier made the AP All-Pro First Team and the Pro Bowl, is the first player since Emmitt Smith (1995) to lead the NFL in rushing every week of a season.

The Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson won the PFWA’s nod for NFL MVP, and the Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett took Defensive Player of the Year honors. The AP’s MVP and Player of the Year awards will be revealed Feb. 8 at NFL Honors

NFC Championship

Lions at 49ers

▶ Kickoff: 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

▶ TV/radio: FOX/97.1

▶ Records: Detroit (12-5), San Francisco (12-5)

▶ Line: 49ers by 7

AFC Championship

Chiefs at Ravens

▶ Kickoff: 3 p.m., Sunday, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

▶ TV/radio: CBS

▶ Records: Kansas City (11-6), Baltimore (13-4)

▶ Line: Ravens by 3 1/2