NFL: 49ers’ game at Cowboys flexed off of Sunday Night Football,
Oh, how the mighty 49ers- Cowboys rivalry has fallen.
The 49ers’ game Dec. 20 at Dallas just got booted out of the NFL’s marquee time slot — 5:20 p.m. on NBC’s Sunday Night Football — and into a 10 a.m. spot.
“I was pretty disappointed. I love playing those type of games when the whole league is watching,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “When that game comes, we’ll be ready to play just as hard, regardless of what time it’s at.”
Here’s the catch, if you will, in why the 49ers- Cowboys matchup is not as attractive: they’ve combined to lose 16 of 24 games this season.
That’s a far cry from their battle for Super Bowl berths in the 1970, ’71, ’81, ’92, ’ 93 and ’ 94 seasons, including “The Catch” by Dwight Clark on Jan. 10, 1982, that sparked the 49ers’ dynasty.
So who gets top (or latenight) billing instead of them on Dec. 20?
T he finally thriv ing
Cleveland Browns (9-3), for their first time in 15 years since the NFL began flexing that prime-time window. They will visit the New York Giants.
Like the 49ers, the Giants are 5-7, but they’re tied for the NFC East lead with Washington, which is also 5-7.
The Cowboys (3- 9) play this Sunday at the Cincinnati Bengals (2-9-1).
The 49ers, who’ve lost four of their past five, host Washington this Sunday (1:25 p.m.) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Neither of the 49ers’ final two regular- season games are slated for prime
time kickoffs: Dec. 26 at the Cardinals (1:30 p.m.) at State Farm Stadium, and Jan. 3 vs. the Seattle Seahawks (1:25 p.m.). The Seattle game will also be played in Arizona if Santa Clara County’s ban on contact sports remains in effect as expected and keeps Levi’s Stadium off limits.