Jared Goff is a star reborn. Fans now chant his name. He is the talk of this town. Even beyond this city, people have become fascinated with his career revival that has paralleled the remarkable restoration of the Detroit Lions franchise he has led to the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance. It’s the stuff of Hollywood, after all. But Goff, an A-list quarterback once again, would just as soon redirect the attention to his team of Honolulu blue bodyguards charged with protecting him.

“It starts with them,” he said. “It’s a very unique group. It really is. We owe a lot of credit to them for the success we have had on offense.”

They have helped make this year “fun” for Goff, as he put it.

“The o-line has kept me upright,” he explained.

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That has helped Goff regain his status as one of the league’s most effective passers. During the regular season, he ranked in the top half of the league in total QBR and ninth in quarterback rating. The numbers paint a picture of proficiency, which Goff has demonstrated while operating without much interference.

He has been pressured on only 22% of his dropbacks and has been sacked 1.84 times per game – a rate that ranks among the lowest in the NFL. Give Goff time and he’ll pick apart a defense. But place him under duress and his performance will begin to fade. That’s long been the scouting report on the Lions quarterback, which is why the NFC championship game showdown could be determined by the sustainability of his pocket.

It’s on the periphery of that bubble where the Lions’ battalion of blockers will try to fend off San Francisco’s fearsome defensive line. The 49ers’ four-man front is stacked with Pro Bowl talents. Nick Bosa and Chase Young attack from the edges. Javon Hargrave pushes from the interior. When they check out, they are spelled by the likes of Randy Gregory and Javon Kinlaw – two disruptive backups who were full-fledged starters in recent years. The threat posed by the 49ers becomes even more daunting with injured left guard Jonah Jackson unable to play Sunday.

“It’s a huge challenge,” Lions center Frank Ragnow said. “I mean you look at the defense all over, their reserves, too, you can go on and on. It’s a very talented group at each level of the defense – from the linebackers to the secondary to up front.”

But almost everything for the 49ers starts near the line of scrimmage. The strength of their front has allowed coordinator Steve Wilks to leave more defenders in coverage. It’s no surprise then that the Niners snagged the most interceptions in the NFL and ranked among the teams that allowed the fewest explosive plays during the regular season. To a large extent, Wilks was able to generate good results by playing it safe. San Francisco blitzed only 18% of the time – the NFL’s third-lowest rate. Yet the Niners still managed to hit their target, collecting 62 quarterback knockdowns – the fifth-highest total in the league.

“I think the thing that isn’t said enough about them is that they play with incredible effort, really good effort,” offensive tackle Taylor Decker said. “So, it is definitely going to be a challenge for us up front.”

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It’s one Decker also embraces.

The longest-tenured member of this ascending team has waited his entire career to play on the big stage. The nation’s eyes have finally turned to the Lions, and come Sunday, they will zero in on Goff.

“For him being a veteran player, playing the premium position of quarterback, to be able to handle all the pressure like that…,” Decker remarked.

It’s the name of the game in Goff’s high-profile job, whether he’s dealing with the media scrutiny or a pack of roving pass rushers. Off the field, the unflappable Goff has shown he’s capable of handling the glare of the spotlight on his own. But between the lines, in the face of a ferocious front like the one he’ll encounter Sunday, he needs all the help he can get from his team of well-trained bodyguards. They’re the ones propping up this Hollywood story shared by Goff and the revived franchise he leads.

Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: A stout 49ers D-line stands between Lions and a Super Bowl appearance