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Five 49ers to watch in Week 17 game vs. revenge-seeking Lions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The rematch of the NFC Championship Game will look nothing like last season’s NFC Championship Game.
The 49ers rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit for a 34-31 victory on Jan. 28 at Levi’s Stadium to advance to the Super Bowl.
This season, they are among the most-injured teams in the NFL. But that’s all they have in common. These teams are heading in opposite directions.
The Detroit Lions have 19 players on injured reserve, while the 49ers have 15 players on the injured list and at least another couple who will not be available for the game Monday night.
The Lions have managed to compensate for all their losses, as they enter the final two weeks of the season in the driver’s seat to be the No. 1 seed in the NFC at 13-2. The 49ers, meanwhile, are officially eliminated from playoff contention with a 6-9 record.
The 49ers will attempt to avoid getting embarrassed in front of a national television audience while also laying some groundwork for next season.
Here are five 49ers to watch against the top team in the NFC:
LG Nick Zakelj
In his first two NFL seasons, Nick Zakelj was known more for being Brock Purdy’s roommate than anything else.
On Monday, he will get his first NFL start, and he’ll be in charge of being one of Purdy’s protectors.
Zakelj takes over at left guard for Aaron Banks, who will miss the final two games of the season with a partially torn medial-collateral ligament in his right knee.
Consider this an audition for Zakelj for a potential starting job next season. Banks is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, and it appears likely he will get an attractive offer elsewhere and not return to the 49ers in 2025.
One thing to keep in mind about Zakelj: The 49ers valued him more in the 2022 NFL Draft than Purdy. The 49ers selected Zakelj in the sixth round with pick No. 187 out of Fordham, while Purdy was the final selection at No. 262…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/five-49ers-watch-week-17-201545845.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-12-28 20:15:00
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