Jared Goff, Lions Questioned by Fans as Super Bowl Contender Despite Win vs. 49ers

The Detroit Lions' matchup against the San Francisco 49ers was essentially meaningless for the Lions, with the top seed in the NFC playoffs and the NFC North title coming down to Week 18's showdown with the Minnesota Vikings.

That doesn't mean that the game didn't highlight one particularly concerning trend in Detroit.

The defense yet again struggled to slow down an opposing offense, though the electrifying Lions' offense ultimately led the way in a 40-34 shootout win.

And the result might have been closer had San Francisco's Jake Moody not missed two field goals and an extra point, or if Brock Purdy didn't throw a pair of inexplicable interceptions in the second half.

Remember, this was a Niners team (6-10) that has now lost six of its last seven games and has been held to 17 or fewer points in five of the past seven.

Jared Goff led the way for the Lions, finishing 26-of-34 for 303 yards and three touchdowns, while Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Yes, the Lions are amazing on the offensive side of the ball.

And yes, they've been ravaged by injuries on defense, so it's easy to understand why the struggles have emerged. But it's become a big enough concern to put their Super Bowl aspirations in major jeopardy, as fans and pundits were quick to point out on social media:

The Lions are incredibly fun to watch on offense and they are good enough to beat a number of teams in shootouts, as evidenced by their 14-2 record. But in the NFC, teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings—and in the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs—are far more balanced on both sides of the ball.

What happens if the Vikings or Eagles get more defensive stops in the playoffs and the defense can't slow down those offenses? Can Detroit really bank on simply winning every playoff game on elite offense alone?

One of the oldest clichés in sports is that defenses win championships, and it persists for a reason. In the NFL, it's perhaps more accurate to say that great quarterbacks aided by strong defenses win championships. But it's pretty darn hard to reach the Super Bowl and win it without both components in place.