The 49ers will need to play an all-around complete team game in order to defeat the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at Levi's Stadium and advance to Super Bowl LVIII.
However, depending on who you ask, one side of the ball might be more important for some than others.
In speaking to reporters on Wednesday, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner was asked how much of the burden he and the rest of the defense are shouldering in preparation for Sunday's game.
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"Yeah, there's plenty. The time for 'Hey guys, let's get better, let's get better this week,' that's kind of over with," Warner said. "You've got to perform at your best now when your best is needed. It's time to really put it out there and lead from the front.
"If we want to win this game, I'm putting it all in the defense's hands, I'm saying all we need to do is score three on offense and we're going to win it for us. That's the mindset we have to go into this week with. And like I said, the time for 'we'll get it right next week,' that's over with. We got to make sure we come out guns a blazing, we got to set the tone right away and make sure we're coming out playing our best football."
While Warner and San Francisco's stout defense likely won't shut out Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Detroit's explosive offense on Sunday, that's the mindset the 49ers' defense will approach the game with.
San Francisco 49ers
They certainly will have their work cut out for them against a Detroit offense that scored the fifth most points per game (27.5) and second most touchdowns (58) in the NFL this season.
If the 49ers do come out on top against the Lions, Warner and San Francisco's defense almost certainly will play a huge role in deciding the outcome.