5 reasons for concern for 49ers heading into NFC championship

The 49ers’ NFC championship showdown with the Packers won’t likely be a cakewalk.

The 49ers put a 37-8 beatdown on the Green Bay Packers when the two teams squared off in Week 12 at Levi’s Stadium.

Any rundown of the matchup on paper indicates the 49ers are in a good spot to pull out another victory and head to Super Bowl LIV in Miami. However, football games aren’t played on paper, and a cakewalk game against a 13-3 squad in the NFC championship game is not likely.

While San Francisco should be confident going into Sunday’s game, there are a few reasons for concern:

Davante Adams is really good

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While the 49ers limited Adams to 43 yards and a touchdown on seven catches in their Week 12 meeting, he’s still one of the preeminent receiving threat in the NFL. He missed four games due to a toe injury, but still managed to post 83 receptions for 997 yards and five touchdowns. San Francisco shutting him down again isn’t necessarily a given, especially since Green Bay will likely make it a point to get him the ball in space, and in favorable matchups in the 49ers’ secondary. One receiver having a big game isn’t a huge issue, but Adams has the skill set to warp the 49ers defense and open up the passing game with some of their peripheral weapons.

How the 49ers combat this concern:

San Francisco did a nice job covering Adams in Week 12,  and they’ll likely follow a similar plan this time. The pass rush getting home and not letting Adams impact the game down the field will help. Emmanuel Moseley or Ahkello Witherspoon, whoever lines up opposite Richard Sherman, will need a strong showing when they’re matched up on Adams.