Cowboys have to exorcise old demons in Santa Clara

Finally, there are only a few hours left until the Dallas Cowboys take the field on Sunday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers. While it's been one-sided lately, it's still a rivalry that evokes nostalgia for those of us who lived through the playoff battles of the 1990s.

For both teams, the season didn't quite go according to plan. Dallas has a 3-3 record after three overwhelming home defeats. San Francisco enters the game at 3-4 and is fresh off a loss to the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs.

Injuries have plagued both teams, and each will be hoping to get back on track with a big win on Sunday night.

Games like these come down to crucial matchups, and the Cowboys will have to exorcise some old demons to leave Santa Clara with a win.

Everyone against Nick Bosa

You may laugh at the header, but the first thing QB Dak Prescott and the offense need to do before every snap is find #97. Nick Bosa can completely ruin a game and needs to be held accountable on every play.

Bosa may not have the flashiest sack numbers this season, but he's still near the top of the league when it comes to pressure. The sacks will come, but we don't want them to come this week. Offensive tackles Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele will have to do their best to prevent that.

Tight ends Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford also need to be on guard. If they line up with one hand in the dirt, they must have the wherewithal to beat Bosa on the way out to their routes.

Running backs Rico Dowdle, Dalvin Cook and Hunter Luepke must do the same. When I say that everyone at Bosa needs to help, I really mean everyone. Dallas can't withstand a big game from Bosa.

Dak Prescott vs. Fred Warner

The battle between the Cowboys' offense and the 49ers' defense was a chess game that LB Fred Warner won three times in a row. The Cowboys' offense, and especially Dak Prescott, has had major problems in every game since 2021.

Prescott's numbers go down when he faces the 49ers. In his last three games (all losses), Prescott has thrown just three touchdowns and six interceptions. His career completion rate is 66.8%, but that drops to just 58% when compared to San Francisco.

Dak is very effective against man coverage, but the 49ers' zone scheme gives him problems, especially when it comes to who makes the decisions on the field. Warner and Dak engage in a pre-snap battle on every play, and Prescott must make the right adjustments to take advantage of the defense so the Cowboys have a chance to win.

Sound tackle against Deebo Samuel

Despite being hospitalized with pneumonia and fluid in his lungs, WR Deebo Samuel is expected to play Sunday night and provide a much-needed talent boost to an injury-plagued offense.

The 49ers are already without running backs Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell, wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, and TE George Kittle is dealing with a sprained foot.

A few of the key things Samuel brings to the 49ers' offense are versatility and physicality. Head coach and game director Kyle Shanahan positions Deebo all over the field. He can spread him out wide or in the slot and even line him up in the backfield as a running back.

The Cowboys defenders need to be solid in their tackling techniques, and even if they can't beat him on their own, you should hold on for dear life and allow the rest of the defense to finish the tackle.

Samuel is one of the most difficult players to tackle and if the Cowboys don't catch up, he will carve you up with the run after the catch.

forecast

Everyone talks about the injuries to the 49ers' talented players, but everyone seems to have forgotten that the Cowboys' defense has also been weakened by injuries. The top four defensive ends on the depth chart are unavailable.

San Francisco likes to attack the edges of the defense, and since LT Trent Williams wasn't somehow suspended for punching a Chiefs player right in the ear, they'll have their best offensive lineman to help seal the edge.

Samuel and Williams weren't expected to play, but now that they'll both be out there alongside the NFL's second-leading rusher (Jordan Mason) and TE George Kittle, I'm not sure the Cowboys will be able to , to stop Shanahan's offense.

It also remains to be seen whether Prescott and the offense can move the ball on the 49ers' defense. Recent history shows us that they will not be able to do this.

Cowboys 16
49ers 27