Our late slate of games begins with the Dallas Cowboys (2-3) trying to restart their Super Bowl hopes when they travel to Levi’s Stadium to take on the San Francisco 49ers (0-6).
The game should kick off at 4:05 p.m. EST and be available for your viewing pleasure on your local FOX station.
The Game: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers (+6)
O/U: 48.5
The History
The Cowboys and 49ers have met 35 times since 1960 and it’s tied up at 17-17-1.
Of those 35 meetings, seven have been in the playoffs. In two different decades (the 80s and 90s), their meeting determined not only the team that went on to the Super Bowl, but the team that would go on to be Super Bowl Champion.
Their fourth playoff meeting ended with a play known as “The Catch,” when Dwight Clark hauled in a touchdown pass from Joe Montana on January 10, 1982 in the final seconds of a 28-27 San Francisco victory in the NFC Championship.
DALLAS COWBOYS (2-3)
The Cowboys have faced plenty of adversity already this season, losing two games in the final quarter in consecutive weeks to the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers. The NFL’s six game suspension of Ezekiel Elliott continues to loom, even though Elliott and the NFLPA have managed to keep it legally at bay so far. They need to get back to .500 and fix all the holes in their defense that’s allowed 35 points in two straight games. They had a week off to fix it. It usually doesn’t work that way.
Enter the 49ers to help. While San Francisco has kept each game close, they’ve also managed to lose. The Cowboys should be able to unleash their offense, led by Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott to put up some serious points. The offense hasn’t been the problem for Dallas. Prescott was 20 of 36 for 252 yards, three touchdowns and a pick against the Rams. He had nearly identical numbers against Green Bay, 25 of 36 for 251 yards, three touchdowns and one pick. The Cowboys scored 30 and 31 points respectively in those games and still lost.
Dallas’ defense surrendered 125 yards and a touchdown to Aaron Jones and, the week before, Todd Gurley did pretty much anything he wanted. The Packers scored 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Cowboys had a solid lead that just evaporated. Prescott led a scoring drive to retake command late in the fourth. It was all for naught as Aaron Rodgers did that Aaron Rodgers stuff he does. He won’t be on the field this week, anywhere.
Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie probably won’t play. La’el Collins, Tyron Smith and Sean Lee were full participants in practice Friday.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (0-6)
For what seems like the sixth consecutive week, the 49ers did just enough to lose, falling 26-24 to the Washington Redskins last Sunday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had, like so many other coaches in the league, seen enough of Brian Hoyer quarterbacking his team and pulled the plug, beginning what we could call the C.J. Beathard era. Beathard finished the game 19 of 36 for 245 yards, one touchdown and a pick.
In truth, Beathard was even better than that. He continually got the 49ers into scoring position and Carlos Hyde finished off two drives. He rushed 13 times for just 28 yards, but scored two touchdowns.
Aldrick Robinson caught just two passes, but one was for a 45 yard touchdown. Pierre Garcon hauled in five for 55 yards last week.
San Francisco’s biggest problem is its defense, which seems to consistently give up plays when the other team most needs them to. They sacked Kirk Cousins once and got nine stops in the backfield last week, so that’s an improvement. It didn’t matter.
Kyle Juszczyk is out for the 49ers. Everybody else on the injury report is listed as questionable, but I expect them to play.
The Pick
The 49ers picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue. An 0-6 team hosting a Dallas squad with Super Bowl aspirations trying to get two last-minute losses out of their system is showing up hungry. This one could get ugly. Cowboys 41, 49ers 24
This week
Straight up: 0-1
Against the spread: 0-1
Last week
Straight up: 5-9
Against the spread: 5-9
Season
Straight up: 48-43
Against the spread: 43-48
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