5Q: Could Lions Embarass 49ers on Monday Night Football?

Previewing Lions' Week 17 showdown with 49ers beat writer.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers met 11 months ago at Levi's Stadium with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. San Francisco used a furious second half comeback to steal the NFC Championship game, leaving the Lions walking off the field in defeat.

On Monday, the Lions will return to Levi's Stadium looking to avenge that defeat. While the 49ers are eliminated from playoff contention, Detroit is pursuing the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. If the Minnesota Vikings lose to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, a win over the 49ers would give the Lions home-field advantage and a first-round bye.

Grant Cohn is a San Francisco 49ers beat writer for 49ers OnSI. He recently answered five questions to preview Monday's game between the Lions and 49ers at Levi's Stadium.

1.) What have been the biggest factors contributing to the 49ers’ struggles this season? 

Grant Cohn: The 49ers will say that injuries ruined their season, but that's not the full story. The Lions have lots of injuries too, and they're 13-2. The 49ers were bad early in the season before the injuries piled up. And that's because they had more drama than any other team during the offseason -- they had three holdouts -- and those distractions carried over to the regular season (see Deebo Samuel punching the long-snapper on the sideline and De'Vondre Campbell quitting mid-game). In addition, the absence of Christian McCaffrey exposed Brock Purdy. Without McCaffrey to carry the offense, Purdy simply couldn't win close games in the fourth quarter. 

2.) Is Kyle Shanahan the right coach to lead the 49ers in the future? 

Cohn: No. He's awful in close games. His offense isn't good anymore -- it's averaging fewer than 18 points per game since the bye week. And his quarterback is regressing. The 49ers need a fresh start and a new voice to lead the team. After eight years, it seems that Shanahan's voice and message don't resonate like they used to. You have to wonder if the older players blame him for their two Super Bowl collapses. If the Bears or another team were to call the 49ers and propose a trade for Shanahan, the 49ers should accept it and move on. Because if they keep him, they'll struggle next season, too.

3.) San Francisco faces a big decision moving forward with Brock Purdy being extension-eligible this offseason. Do you believe Brock Purdy is deserving of a lengthy, top-of-the-market extension? Why or why not?

Cohn: No. Early in his career, he played in lots of blowouts because he had Christian McCaffrey, the Offensive Player of the Year. Without him, the 49ers have been in lots of close games this season, and Purdy has won only one of them. He routinely throws the interception in the fourth quarter that loses the game. He did it two weeks ago in a do-or-die matchup against the Rams in which the 49ers scored just six points and lost, and he did it again last week against the Dolphins. The 49ers should make Purdy play out the final year of his contract. He still has much to prove.

4.) What are 1-2 key matchups that could decide Monday’s game?

Cohn: Dee Winters vs. Jahmyr Gibbs. The 49ers have good cornerbacks, but they've struggled to cover quick running backs out of the backfield ever since Dre Greenlaw tore his Achilles in the Super Bowl. Dee Winters simply isn't as good as him. Last week, the 49ers gave up six catches for 70 yards to Dolphins running back Devon Achane. Look for Gibbs to have a huge game catching the ball and running it. The 49ers have given up four 100-yard rushers in their past five games.

5.) Who wins and why?

Cohn: The Lions have something to play for. The 49ers don't. The Lions are good. The 49ers are not. This game won't be close.