In Detroit, a matchup of direct opposites

Talent, expectations differ between 49ers and rebuilding Lions

Despite sporting a 6-10 record and finishing last in the NFC West a year ago, the 49ers will open the regular season Sunday as the NFL’s biggest road favorites.

Part of the reason for the eight-point spread? The 49ers are 19 months removed from leading in the fourth quarter of a Super Bowl and led the NFL in injured-reserve transactions in 2020. The other part: They are playing the Detroit Lions.

The Lions, one of four teams to never appear in a Super Bowl and one of two franchises to have an 0-16 season, appear perfectly positioned to extend their streak without a playoff win to 30 years in 2021. In fact, the postseason is probably a pipe dream: They are a good bet to endure their 17th losing season of the century and their fourth straight double-digit-loss campaign.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about overconfidence as Detroit, with new head coach Dan Campbell, first-year general manager Brad Holmes and a bare-bones roster, begins another attempt at a rebuild. The 49ers have won 10 of their past 11 games against the Lions.

“This is a very tough game and if you don’t come and play your best, or expect to have to play your best. Not only will you lose, but you get embarrassed very quick,” Shanahan said. “And I know there’s some real good players over there. I know there’s some really good coaches. And I know they’re going to come out firing and I do not expect (them) to surprise us.”

The Lions will come out with a defense that was historically generous in 2020. They allowed the second-most points (519) and fourth-most yards (419.8 per game) in NFL history during the one-season tenure of defensive coordinator Cory Undlin, who will return to Ford Field on Sunday as the 49ers’ secondary coach.

After that disaster, Detroit didn’t use its first-round pick on a defensive player and their biggest offseason veteran addition might have been defensive end Michael Brockers, 30. He was acquired from the Rams in exchange for a 2023 seventh-round pick after collecting nine sacks in his past 49 games.

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo termed the Lions a “very talented group” when asked for his defensive scouting report without offering compelling supporting evidence.

“I’m sure they’ll have a couple of things for us that we haven’t seen,” Garoppolo said. “But a fast group. Played against a couple of these guys before. … They’re a fast group and pretty instinctive. So we’ll have to be on our game.”

On offense, the Lions definitely didn’t upgrade after ranking 20th in points and yards per game last year. In January, they made a lopsided QB swap with the Rams — receiving Jared Goff and surrendering Matthew Stafford — and received two firstround picks and a thirdrounder from Los Angeles. Goff, a Marin County native, may not be thrilled to face his hometown team: He went 0-4, posted a 70.3 passer rating and committed six turnovers against the 49ers the past two seasons.

With the Rams, Goff struggled against the 49ers despite having two 1,000-yard receivers (Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp) and a Pro Bowl left tackle (Andrew Whitworth). With the Lions, who didn’t re-sign two 1,000-yard wideouts in the offseason (Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones), his No. 1 wide receiver is Tyrell Williams, who missed last year with a shoulder injury, and his No. 2 is Kalif Raymond, a 2016 undrafted free agent with 19 career catches.

Goff ’s left tackle, Taylor Decker, will sit out Sunday with a finger injury. Decker is expected to be replaced by rookie Penei Sewell, 20, who opted out of his last college season and struggled in the preseason against backups.

After being traded, Novato native Jared Goff has gone from quarterbacking a perennial contender in the Los Angeles Rams to leading the rebuilding Detroit Lions.

He’ll make his debut Sunday against Pro Bowl pass rusher Nick Bosa.

“Everybody knows (Sewell) has all the physical tools in the world,” Decker told reporters. “I think for him, it’s just getting repetitions.”

Add it up and it’s evident the Lions, who won their last title in 1957, will extend their drought this season. But the 49ers hope Sunday’s opponent will, again, serve as a springboard: They won their first Super Bowls, in the 1981 and 1984 seasons, after opening their season in Detroit.