NFL Divisional Round Preview: Cowboys vs. 49ers
Super Wild Card Weekend to remember as the majority of the games had very close scores. But a tale of two cities that had blow outs has set them to face off.
After being down early the No. 2 seed San Francisco 49ers were able to have a complete second half defensive masterclass, and prevail and dominate a division rival the No. 7 seed Seattle Seahawks.
Besides the 49ers defense looking perfect in the second half, Mr. Irrelevant draft Pick Brock Purdy was able to rebound and have 348 total yards with 4 touchdowns and a 131.5 passer rating. Purdy was able to spread the ball out to key targets in their offensive gauntlet.
Down in Tampa Bay on Monday night Dak Prescott led the No. 5 seed Dallas Cowboys en route to victory with a huge offensive showcase over the greatest Tom Brady and No. 4 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While Tampa Bay showed out and the atmosphere was electric, the Cowboys were able to settle in quickly, quiet the crowd and doubt the naysayers. With a lot of people counting them out.
The Cowboys will now head to the Bay Area where an old-school NFL rivalry with the Niners has had a rebirth. This new era between the inter-division team began last year in the Super Wild Card Weekend with the 49ers coming out of Dallas victorious 23-17.
In the all-time rivalry the Cowboys lead 19-18-1 with 5-3 playoff record included in the total. The 49ers are hungry to tie up that record along with setting them up for their third NFC Championship in the last four seasons. This year’s run is fueled from last year’s run ending just short over division rivals and 2021 Super Bowl champs Los Angeles Rams.
From “The Catch” made by Dwight Clark, Roger Staubach shattering 49ers fans hearts, to Terrell Owens dancing on the Dallas star, this storied rivalry has had some of the greatest moments ever in the history of the NFL. There is no stopping the hype building up this game.
The Cowboys have found success this season heavily in their defense having one of the best in the league. After leading the NFL last season with 31 turnovers they are again in the top 4 of the league with 54 sacks.
An area which Dallas finds their struggles in is their run defense. Dallas ended up placing 22nd in the league in stopping the run. During the season both the Bears and the Packers ran for over 200 yards against the Cowboys in back-to-back weeks.
Where the Cowboys can find success is in their pass rush scheme which puts teams in long downs and distance positions. As long as Dak Prescott can avoid being a turnover machine, Dallas has an equal chance to win just as San Francisco.
The San Francisco 49ers have gone through the ups and downs this season with the quarterback injuries along with injuries on both their offensive and defensive lines managed to go 13-4.
Even with third-string quarterback Brock Purdy the team believes they have a chance to win it all just as much as any other of the eight teams. Not every team is fortunate to have a strong third-string.
After getting blown out by the Chiefs in week seven the Niners have gone on to win 11 in a row with a huge staple being Brock Purdy going undefeated.
Purdy in his position has been able to extend plays and spread the ball out to all of his key targets in Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and even Christian McCaffrey who has 464 receiving yards since joining San Francisco.
The Story of the Niners 2022 season has been their defense, which allowed the fewest points in the league at 277, first in interceptions with 20, first in forced fumbles at 16 and allowed fewest yards on the run defense. This team is ready for a different offense like Dallas.
Kickoff for Cowboys-49ers is set for this Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. on FOX.
Matt Cabram is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mwc5817@psu.edu.
