Cowboys look to get over hurdle that ended their last two seasons
49ers eliminated Dallas in playoffs in 2021 and 2022
The questions about getting past the San Francisco 49ers hurdle were directed at the Dallas Cowboys as soon as their latest victory was complete.
Quarterback Dak Prescott bristled at the premise, but the only way for the Cowboys to change that story will be to start beating the team that knocked them out of the postseason the past two years.
Dallas gets another shot at doing that Sunday night when the Cowboys (3-1) visit the 49ers (4-0) in a game with much less meaning than the losses the past two Januarys, but could impact where a rematch is played this season if the teams meet again in the playoffs.
“This is not all about what happened last year,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “This is not walking down the street and get in a fight with a guy and then every time you turn the corner you're looking for him. This is about winning the game. This is about winning the next game. But we know who we're playing.”
That's because of what happened the past two seasons. The Cowboys lost 1912 at the Niners in the divisional round last season, following
a 23-17 loss at home in the wild-card round the previous season.
Prescott and the offense struggled in both contests and the Cowboys made too many mistakes on both sides of the ball to prevail.
Winning on Sunday won't lessen the blow from those losses, but will serve as a sign that there has been improvement in Dallas. The Cowboys have won three games by at least 20 points already this season, but did have a slip-up in a loss at Arizona in Week 3.
The playoff meetings the past two seasons have revived a rivalry that was the most important in the NFL in the 1990s when the teams met in three straight NFC title games with the
winner capturing the Super Bowl each time.
Neither franchise has won it all since the 1990s with both still seeking a sixth title. This is the first time since 1994 that they meet in the regular season with both teams multiple games over .500. NEAR-PERFECT PURDY >> San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy was nearly perfect last week, setting a franchise record for completion percentage by completing 20 of 21 passes in a win over Arizona. Purdy improved to 9-0 as a starter in the regular season and has won all 12 games when he has played at least three quarters. The Cowboys provided his biggest challenge as he threw for only 214
yards with no TDs in the game.
Purdy has overcome every challenge he has faced. But he hasn't had to lead a team from behind in the clutch.
RUN CMC >> The Cowboys held Christian McCaffrey to 57 yards from scrimmage in the playoff meeting last season, but repeating that will be tough to do. McCaffrey has 600 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns in four games, marks previously reached only by Hall of Famers Jim Brown (1958 and `63) and Emmitt Smith (1995).
He scored a TD in the playoff win against Dallas and has at least one in a franchise-record 13 straight games in the regular season and playoffs.