It's a big football weekend and the San Francisco 49ers seek their sixth Super Bowl title. But first they have to get by the gritty Detroit Lions at Levi Stadium on Sunday in the NFC Championship game. The 49ers are loaded with talent. Quarterback Brock Purdy is an MVP finalist as is his running back Christian McCaffrey. However, their best player may be receiver Deebo Samuel. He's got a bad shoulder but he will likely make every effort to play the game Sunday. Everything the 49ers do offensively runs through him. If he can't go, Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle will have to step up. And let's not forget the 49ers have the best left tackle in the game in Trent Williams.
49ERS PLAY DEFENSE TOO
Defensively, the 49ers are loaded up front with Chase Young and Nick Bosa. And they have great linebackers with Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. If Lions quarterback Jared Goff has time, he might be able to pick on the 49ers secondary. The 49ers are 7 point favorites at home and that line has not budged. And if they win they will get the chance to get their sixth Super Bowl Trophy in franchise history. Let's study up with some 49ers Trivia on Craig Shemon and Company on ESPN Southwest Florida.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS TRIVIA
- Who is the 49ers back up quarterback? Sam Darnold
- Where did Brock Purdy go to school? Iowa State
- Kyle Shanahan was an O.C. for four teams before coming to the 49ers. Can you name one? Texans, Redskins, Browns, Falcons
- The 49ers had a three-game losing streak in October. Can you name one of the teams that beat them in that streak? @Browns, @Vikings, @Bengals
- How many Super Bowls have the 49ers won? 5
- What was the NFC Championship matchup last year? Eagles vs 49ers
- Who was the head coach the last time the 49ers won an NFC title game? Jim Harbaugh
- Who did Harbaugh and the 49ers beat in the NFC Title game in 2013? Atlanta Falcons
- Name the last two 49ers to win a regular season MVP? Steve Young, Joe Montana
- Where did Deebo Samuel go to college? South Carolina
3 Teams the NFL Could Force on Hard Knocks
Hard Knocks owns a special place in football fans hearts. It's our first taste of football leading up to the season and fills a void on Tuesday nights in August. There is no doubt that fans love it. Even if it is not your favorite team being featured most fans still watch. But in recent years the NFL is having a harder and harder time finding a team open to being on the program. This year there are 3 teams the NFL could force on the show Hard Knocks. The 3 teams the NFL could force on Hard Knocks are the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, and New Orleans Saints. League rules state that teams who made the playoffs the previous 2 season, have a new head coach, or have been featured in the last 10 years.
Last year the NFL had to force the New York Jets to be the featured team. Most players did not enjoy the extra attention. The league and HBO have also started airing an in-season version of the program. That too has been met with hesitation from players and coaches. Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard didn't hold back when speaking with reporters. The former Pro-Bowler called it "Bull S---" and went on to say that he did not like cameras throughout the facility. So the players and coaches aren't fans of being filmed. Big whoop. The content is too good for the NFL to move on from Hard Knocks. I believe of the 3 teams the NFL could force onto Hard Knocks there are two that would be great entertainment. Here are the teams listed in order of their entertainment factor looking ahead to next season.
1. Chicago Bears
I think the Bears should stick with Fields. However I think they will end up drafting Caleb Williams #1 and trading Justin Field elsewhere. Williams is the highest rated QB prospect coming out of college in a few years. Would love to see how he leads behind the scenes and how the coaching staff tries to set him up for success.
2. Denver Broncos
If Russell Wilson is still with the Broncos then they become #1 on this list. The way Russ was benched this season and the news about the teams asking him to restructure his deal that would make him easier to cut or else he would be benched made waves around the league. Sean Payton called the 2022 Denver Broncos the worst coached team in league history. His version lost by 50 to the Dolphins in week 3.
3. New Orleans Saints
The Saints are stuck in mediocrity, and I don't really care to see how they operate during training camp. We've seen Derek Carr on Hard Knocks when he was with the Raiders... I don't need to see him again. And Dennis Allen might be the most blah coach in the NFL. It would be tough to sell the Saints to a national audience. Unless something drastically changes with their roster I don't want to see them on Hard Knocks.