The Cowboys head into Week 10 with plenty on the line, and the margin for error is thin. At 4-5, Dallas is staring at a tough road against the 7-1 San Francisco 49ers, who come in as the clear favorite. If the Cowboys are going to spring the upset, they’ll have to win a few key battles inside the game.
The biggest one starts with Dallas’ defense trying to slow down Christian McCaffrey. Even if he has lost a step, it’s only a small one.
He remains one of the league’s best dual-threat backs and can swing a game by himself. For the Cowboys, the challenge is simple to say and hard to do: keep him from hurting them as both a runner and a receiver out of the backfield.
That’s a tall order for a defense giving up 372.7 yards per game, which ranks 30th, and 147.4 rushing yards per game, which ranks 31st.
Another matchup worth watching is Caleb Downs against George Kittle. Downs turned in the best performance of his young career last week against the Colts, and Dallas will be hoping that momentum carries over.
He may not be the only defender tasked with handling Kittle, but he could have a major hand in limiting one of San Francisco’s most reliable playmakers. It’s a rookie going up against a veteran who has seen just about everything, but Downs has the talent to make it interesting.
Up front, Quinnen Williams could be the Cowboys’ best shot at disrupting San Francisco’s rhythm. He’s been a one-man wrecking crew lately, but this test is different.
The 49ers’ interior offensive line is a strong unit, and Pro Football Focus has it ranked No. 1.
That’s a big part of why San Francisco’s offense has stayed among the league’s best despite a rash of injuries this season. If Williams can keep winning his reps as both a run defender and pass rusher, Dallas has a better chance of keeping this game tight and staying alive in the playoff picture.
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CeeDee Lamb Knows What Could Derail Cowboys Against The 49ers
CeeDee Lamb is already looking past the relief of Dallas close win over the Indianapolis Colts and toward the kind of matchup that tends to expose a teams weak spots. With the 49ers coming to Arlington on Sunday afternoon, the Cowboys are staring at a meeting with the NFCs top seed and a roster that has only gotten more dangerous after adding wide receiver Keenan Allen.
For Lamb, the biggest concern is not Xs and Os so much as the emotional edge that can creep in after a big result or a big stage. The Cowboys have spent enough time around high-pressure games to know how quickly a rivalry-caliber matchup can turn if the focus slips, and this one arrives with plenty at stake for a team trying to keep its footing against one of the conferences most complete opponents. [Read more 🡒]
Dak Prescott Knows What Sunday Means For The Cowboys
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Prescott spoke to reporters with the focus squarely on ending that stretch against a 7-1 San Francisco team that has looked the part of a contender. For Dallas, the timing makes the game feel bigger than a regular-season test, and the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff gives the Cowboys a chance to answer a familiar challenge on their home field. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Fans Suddenly Have A Jason Witten Coaching Debate
Jason Wittens first college coaching win at Oklahoma gave Cowboys fans something unexpected to chew on, and it had nothing to do with the current roster. Working as the Sooners interim offensive coordinator, Witten picked up his first victory in that role, and the result was enough to spark a familiar kind of Dallas conversation: what if the former tight end eventually comes back home in a bigger way?
Bob Sturm floated Witten as a possible name for a future Cowboys coaching opening, putting him on a short list to replace Brian Schottenheimer if the season keeps sliding. With Dallas sitting at 4-5 and the coaching situation already feeling shaky, the idea has a way of hanging around even if it is still more debate than decision. [Read more 🡒]