3 Detroit Lions players who are sneaky x-factors vs. 49ers in NFC Championship Game

1. WR Josh Reynolds

In the Wild Card Round against the Rams, albeit all in the first half, Reynolds had five catches for 80 yards (his first time over 50 yards since Week 5), He followed that with a touchdown in the Divisional Round win over the Buccaneers.

Reynolds has well-documented history with quarterback Jared Goff going back to their time with the Rams, and the (insert nickname Dan Campbell has for Reynolds) has been a trusted target for the Lions' signal caller since his arrival in Detroit.

Of Reynolds' 40 regular season catches, 32 of them went for a first down. Against the Rams, his first four catches moved the chains. Against the Buccaneers, his two catches were a touchdown and a first down on a drive capped by the touchdown early in the fourth quarter that gave the Lions a lead they never relinquished.

With Reynolds, it's never about the volume of targets he gets or the volume of impact plays he makes in a game. It's when he makes the plays he does, as reflected by having six touchdowns, moving the chains as regular as he does and coming up with a big play on a regular basis (15.2 yards per catch during the regular season;18th in the league).

A rib injury limited Reynolds in practice this week. But that's nothing compared to the injury it was reported he dealt with during the regular season. So he'll be out there on Sunday barring something unforeseen, ready to take advantage of favorable matchups against the 49ers' lesser cornerbacks as someone Goff will look toward in critical spots.