Cowboys provide 49ers tough matchup in wild-card round
The San Francisco 49ers’ playoff return pits them against the Dallas Cowboys in a matchup straight out of NFL central casting.
The teams defined the league for decades, as the 49ers owned the 1980s before the Cowboys won three Super Bowls in the early 1990s, only interrupted by the 1994 Niners.
Here is what you need to know about the No. 6 seed 49ers and No. 3 seed Cowboys:
PLAYOFF HISTORY: >> Cowboys lead series 5-2.
Does the term “The Catch” ring a bell? Dwight Clark sealed the 49ers’ first win over the Cowboys on their fourth try in the NFC Championship following the 1981 season on their way to a Super Bowl title.
The winner of this matchup won the Super Bowl following the 1992 (Cowboys), 1993 (Cowboys) and 1994 (49ers) seasons. Each of those showdowns
came in the NFC Championship Game, fortifying the playoff rivalry.
In fact, this will be only the second of eight playoff games between the teams that didn’t put the winner directly in the Super Bowl. The Cowboys lost Super Bowl V (1970 season) and won Super Bowl VI (1971 season) after beating the Niners for the NFC crown. They beat San Francisco
again after the 1972 season but lost to Washington in the next round.
ALL-TIME SERIES: >> Cowboys lead series 19-17-1.
Recent games: Diminished versions of the teams faced off in December 2020 as Andy Dalton and Tony Pollard led the Cowboys past Nick Mullens and the 49ers. Prior to that was a 2017 game at Levi’s Stadium that pushed the 49ers to 0-7 on the season and preceded the trade for Jimmy Garoppolo by nine days.
COWBOYS TO WATCH: >> Dak Prescott is a favorite for Comeback Player of the Year, returning from a gruesome ankle injury to lead the Cowboys to an NFC East title. Alongside him in the backfield are the surprising Pollard and former top pick Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys defense has been the surprise of the year, with rookie linebacker Micah Parsons transforming from an off-ball linebacker into a pass-rushing menace in his debut season. Trevon Diggs led the NFL with an eye-popping 11 interceptions this season, the most by any player in the last 40 years.
INJURIES OF NOTE: >> Diggs, Pollard, Parsons cornerback Anthony Brown and offensive tackle Tyron Smith all missed the Cowboys’ season finale, but each of them missed with illness rather than injury. All could return for next week’s game.