Why The San Francisco 49ers Will Make The 2024 Super Bowl: NFL Football Postseason Outlook

The San Francisco 49ers are one of just four teams that remain for the chance to win Super Bowl LVIII. They'll battle the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship, while the Baltimore Ravens will square off against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. 

The 49ers are looking to win their first Super Bowl since 1995 when they beat the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX. In that last Super Bowl victory, quarterback Steve Young threw for 325 yards and six touchdowns, and Jerry Rice reeled in 10 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. 

The 49ers will attempt to end their 29-year championship drought and will have the chance to defeat either the Ravens or the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, both of whom have beaten San Francisco in the Super Bowl over the past 10 seasons. But will they even get a chance to win the Super Bowl? Can they beat the Lions this weekend? Let's dive in. 

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How Did The 49ers Get Here?

The 49ers entered the year as strong NFC favorites, and they sure played like it to begin the season. They scored at least 30 points in the first five games of 2023. In those contests, San Francisco outscored their opponents 167 to 68, including a 42-10 blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys. 

The highs stopped there, though, as the 49ers struggled in all three games before the bye. They lost three straight contests from Week 6 to Week 8, losing to the Cleveland Browns (19-17), Minnesota Vikings (22-17), and the Cincinnati Bengals (31-17). Brock Purdy was not at his best during that stretch either, throwing just three touchdowns and five interceptions. 

But after the bye, the 49ers figured it out again. They won six straight games before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16 and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18 -- when all the starters rested. They earned the No. 1 seed and the first-round bye with a 12-5 record and then defeated the Green Packers in the Divisional Round by a score of 24-21. 

Why The 49ers Will Make The Super Bowl

It's pretty simple to explain why the 49ers will make the Super Bowl. They have talent all over the field on both sides of the ball. 

The 49ers defense is led by All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and edge rusher Nick Bosa. There's not a more lethal duo on defense in the entire NFL. They both led this San Francisco defense to great numbers all year. They allowed the seventh-fewest yards per game this season while giving up the third-fewest points per game in 2023 (17.7). Only three teams have scored more than 23 points in a game against this defense all season. 

Now, there's a chance this Lions offense can pass that mark on Sunday. But even if they do, this 49ers offense can match that. An offense featuring Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and possibly Deebo Samuel (shoulder) is too much for a Lions defense that has had a hard time stopping teams this year. 

The 49ers can win in multiple ways. They can win in a defensive battle or can win in a shootout. The Lions defense has allowed the 10th-most points per game (23.2) this year. It appears we could be headed for a 30-plus scoring effort by this San Francisco offense, something Detroit might have a hard time doing against this defense. 

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