The Detroit Lions will have their hands full against the 49ers on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
Well, at least that’s how the Lions’ defensive coordinator sees the NFC Championship Game playing out.
Aaron Glenn, the Lions’ defensive architect since 2021, explained how well-versed he is in coach Kyle Shanahan’s style, whom he shared the sideline with in Cleveland back in 2014, and the firepower behind the 49ers’ elusive offensive play that will keep Detroit busy.
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“Listen, I coached with him [Kyle Shanahan] in Cleveland,” Glenn told reporters Thursday. “He was the offensive coordinator there. We had Johnny Manziel as our quarterback. And he spends a lot of time understanding what fronts you’re in and trying to attack the fronts you’re in.
“He’s one of the best at doing that, too, now. I’ve seen that personally, on how much time he spends on that. And then I’ve seen him grow as far as his passing concepts, especially in today’s game [and how it] works right now. It’s going to be a task, especially with the players that they do have.
“They have skilled players that are some of the best in the league, so, defensively, we have our hands full. We know that. We know that. But the way that I see it, they’re going to have their hands full, too. We are going to go out there and play our best.”
On the other hand, Glenn's defense will look to keep the 49ers' hands full in their own way.
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Led by defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Glenn and the Lions will look to pressure Brock Purdy in a distinct way, masquerading blitzes with coverages that confuse opposing offenses at a first glance.
Purdy, no stranger to facing and out-playing blitz-happy opponents, knows the Lions’ defensive scheme will offer him and his offense a healthy challenge.
“They do a good job of sort of holding it and disguising it,” Purdy told reporters Friday. “There's a lot of looks where it looks like it's just a base coverage, and all of a sudden, they're bringing guys from different directions.
“And when they do blitz, they have certain coverages that are behind their blitzes, but like I said, they do a good job with bringing different guys and sort of holding their water and not showing it. So, I think that's the difference.
“Across the year, other teams will sort of have some tips and clues and stuff, but I think these guys do a pretty good job of switching it up and making it hard for the quarterback to recognize it. So, it'll be a good challenge.”
Back in Week 3, Purdy faced the Giants’ blitz wrath but ended up on top, leading the 49ers to a 30-12 victory despite the Giants blitzing Purdy on 37 of his 42 dropbacks.
More impressively, Purdy ended the game with a then-career-high 310 yards and two touchdowns with a 111.3 passer rating.
Purdy recognizes that when he has seen rushers in his pocket this season, the team’s plan and execution has allowed for him to perform well.
“I feel like we usually go into it having a good plan,” Purdy said. "And so the minute they do it, and if we're on it, I think it's sort of like a high-risk, high-reward kind of thing for both sides. If we're ready and have a good plan for it, all it takes is a 5-yard throw or something, and we can turn it into a big gain.
“They're a couple guys short. So, we've gone into games where defenses that blitz a lot, we usually have a good plan for it, but that's just the receivers and myself being on top of it. And when they give us those opportunities, we have to be ready for it, and if we're not ready for it, then we can get exposed.”
It’s likely the Lions’ edge rushers will keep the 49ers’ offensive line busy on Sunday.
Purdy and Co., however, are no strangers to the blitz.
