The Dallas Cowboys face their toughest challenge of the season on Sunday, squaring off against the NFC’s best team, the San Francisco 49ers. Not only are the 49ers rolling this year, off to a 7-1 start, but they have owned the Cowboys in recent matchups, winning four straight games. It gets worse.
San Francisco isn’t just beating them, they are dominating. They control the game, not allowing the Cowboys to gain any sort of traction, and often making it very clear very early who’s coming out on top.
The 49ers have handled them comfortably, leading by at least 16 points in three of those last four contests.
The Cowboys are still searching for anything that gives fans an inkling of hope that they are a serious football team. Knocking off a powerhouse 49ers squad would certainly help, though it is fair to wonder if they actually have it in them.
Will this be a good battle or an embarrassing rout? Here are five things to watch when these two teams collide on Sunday.
1. Brace for impact
It is hard to look past the glaring mismatch in the running game, as San Francisco holds a clear edge on both sides of the ball. Running the football has long been the identity of the 49ers’ offense, allowing them to dictate tempo and wear down opponents.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys defense has been absolutely terrible at stopping the run, surrendering 5.0 yards per carry, which ranks third-worst in the league. They have struggled against far less intimidating backfields, and now they get to deal with Christian McCaffrey, who is a nightmare anytime he finds open space. And it won’t just be McCaffrey, as rookie running back Kaelon Black has emerged as a solid complement to keep the running game a threat 100% of the time.
This will be the ultimate test for the Cowboys’ run defense, challenging their interior strength and gap integrity. If they fail to make stops early, San Francisco could easily take command and run away with this game.
2. Shanahanigans
It is no secret that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is one of the sharpest offensive minds in football. Cowboys fans are painfully aware of this, having watched him consistently outsmart their defense over the years.
Shanahan is a master of pre-snap motion, finding creative ways to give extra blockers a running start before the ball is even snapped. That includes fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who, despite severely lacking vowels in his last name, remains one of the most underrated offensive utensils in the league.
The 49ers will hit the Cowboys with a heavy dose of blocking basics, with plenty of hats on hats, but look for Shanahan to prey on the Cowboys’ lack of discipline and tendency to overpursue. Once he mixes in some misdirection, the Dallas defense could run itself out of the play. It could get ugly fast.
3. Sense of urgency
The Cowboys are going against one of the league’s most effective offenses while fielding one of the worst defenses. It doesn’t take a genius to realize Dallas will need to play a near-perfect game just to have a fighting chance.
Great execution starts with a smart game plan, and that means attacking San Francisco where they are vulnerable. While the 49ers are stout almost everywhere on defense, they are rolling into town a bit banged up at cornerback. All three of their starters are dealing with injuries, and their availability might not be decided until pre-game warmups.
That gives the Cowboys a prime opportunity to test San Francisco’s depth with its dynamic receiving duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. The Cowboys have missed Pickens over the last two weeks, forcing Lamb to do all the heavy lifting. If Brian Schottenheimer can scheme up ways to get both playmakers going against an ailing secondary, things could get interesting.
4. No freebees
Playing a near-perfect game also requires capitalizing on every break while refusing to give their opponent second chances. For Schottenheimer, that means making sharp in-game decisions, including calculated, aggressive fourth-down calls. The Cowboys cannot afford to waste possessions. They have to extend drives and maximize points whenever they get the chance.
On the flip side, the defense has to cut out the bonehead penalties that keep opposing drives alive. No team has surrendered more penalty yards than the Cowboys this season, as their recklessness can be seen running up and down the field. The 49ers don’t need any help to win this game, but if the Cowboys give them some, this one can get out of hand in a hurry.
5. Sitting Purdy
The 49ers’ offense is bedazzled by smart playcalling and a dominant run game, which makes life much easier for Brock Purdy. Still, Purdy deserves a lot of credit for how well he is playing. He has evolved well beyond a low-risk game manager into a legitimate playmaker.
He’s still smart and doesn’t force himself into a hero role, but this is a guy who regularly makes a lot of good decisions, and he can do it with his arm or his legs. But that is not to say that when push comes to shove, he isn’t afraid to put on the cape.
On the other sideline sits a quarterback who has no choice but to show up in costume on Sunday. A mild-mannered performance simply won’t cut it. Dak Prescott has to be completely in his bag, making good reads, getting the ball out fast, and threading needles without letting passes get tipped into the waiting arms of 49ers defenders.
Prescott has run a little hot and cold this season, sandwiching a rough two-game stretch of four interceptions between two separate three-game streaks without a single pick. They need the no-pick Dak to show up in this one.
Simply put, if Dallas wants to pull off the upset, Prescott has to be the better quarterback on the field. Even that doesn’t guarantee a win, though it is a mandatory starting point. If Purdy is the one doing all the cooking, the Cowboys are going to be in deep trouble.
