Five 49ers to watch in Week 17 game vs. revenge-seeking Lions

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 overall.

LB Dee Winters

Second-year linebacker Dee Winters will have an opportunity in the final two games of the season to start and remain on the field from beginning to end.

“With any player they need reps,” 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said. “He gets better every week. I’m just excited to see how he’s going to do these next couple weeks.”

Winters will get his chance to line up alongside Fred Warner after two veteran linebackers are no longer in the picture. The 49ers will keep Dre Greenlaw out of the lineup for the final two games of the season after he experienced issues with his legs after returning to action late in the season from a torn Achilles. Also, De’Vondre Campbell quit the team after starting 12 of the 49ers’ first 13 games of the season.

Winters is in line to make his ninth start of the season. He has typically been replaced when the 49ers go into their nickel defense. He is likely to remain on the field Monday night, and he could be tested regularly in coverage against Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam Laporta.

WR Deebo Samuel

Deebo Samuel looked good in Week 16 against the Miami Dolphins. Now, he must repeat that performance to close out the season to make a case that he is part of the solution for the 2025 season.

Samuel got off to a good start this season, averaging nearly 70 yards receiving in his first seven games. But he went into a five-game tailspin, during which time he caught a total of just 14 passes for 101 yards.

In Miami, Samuel looked good from the beginning of the game, as he piled up some bruising yards as a receiver and rusher. He had seven catches for 96 yards in a game in which he had 12 touches for 121 yards from scrimmage.

These last two games will provide the closing arguments for Samuel to convince the front office that he should have a spot on next year’s team.

S Talanoa Hufanga

When the 49ers met the Lions in the NFC Championship Game, Hufanga was out of action after sustaining a torn ACL in November.

Scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, Hufanga’s performance on Monday night against Jared Goff and the high-powered Lions offense is sure to be scrutinized by any team with some money to spend on a veteran safety.

Hufanga is rated as the No. 23 free agent on the market, according to PFF, and No. 2 at the safety position. Miami’s Jevon Holland is rated as the top safety, and the Dolphins could use the franchise tag to retain him.

Hufanga on Monday will make his sixth start of the season. He missed two games to open the season to fully recover from the ACL surgery, then he went on injured reserve with torn ligaments in his right wrist.

All areas of Hufanga’s game will be tested. He will face challenges in pass coverage as well as when he plays close to the line of scrimmage in the run support.

TE George Kittle

In a 49ers season of one disappointment after another, tight end George Kittle has been a rare bright spot.

He needs 33 yards receiving to reach 1,000 for the fourth time in his career and will join elite company among some of the all-time greats.

The only other tight ends in NFL history to have at least four seasons of 1,000 yards or more receiving are Travis Kelce (seven), and Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski and Jason Witten (four, apiece).

Because of the troubles on the 49ers’ offensive line, Kittle will be, in essence, a sixth offensive lineman while also being relied upon to be an underneath target for Purdy to get yards after the catch.

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