4 reasons why 49ers beat Lions in NFC Championship (and 2 reasons why they don't)

Why the 49ers win: Jared Goff struggles against San Francisco

Nothing should be underestimated about Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who proved he didn't need the mentoring of Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay to be successful. He's had an excellent year for Detroit, pure and simple.

Goff has had seasons of high play before, of course, and he's no stranger to the 49ers. This gives us some history to bounce back, too, a history that isn't too flattering to the Lions quarterback:

Goff is 0-5 in his last five starts against San Francisco, and 3-6 overall. He's been rattled a lot by the 49ers in previous matchups, and head coach Kyle Shanahan is well aware of how to game plan against him.

Of course, that's not to say that Goff should be taken lightly. He has his own enviable array of weapons, and he's more than talented enough to use them.

So what's the secret?

In short, putting him under pressure. The Lions have an excellent offensive line, but the Niners do have a pass rush capable of extreme pressure.

At the end of the day, Shanahan has managed to have Goff's number lately. Let's hope that continues on Sunday night.

But the 49ers have some worries, too. Let's look at a reason that they might fall short on Sunday night.