1 big matchup disadvantage that could doom Cowboys vs 49ers
By Mike Luciano
The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the most balanced, well-rounded teams in the league this season, as they’ve ridden an efficient offense and crunching defense to an NFC East crown and a showdown against Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round.
Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and the rest of this unit will have quite the difficult task ahead of them in this contest. Even though Garoppolo’s arm might not terrify the Dallas defense, they should be scared of Kyle Shanahan’s ability to consistently churn out yards due to expert play-calling.
Like his father before him, all of Shanahan’s pizzazz on offense is done with the goal of running the ball between the tackles and on stretch runs effectively. The 49ers are seventh in the league in both rushing yards gained and rushing yards allowed this season, which could be problematic for Dallas.
The Cowboys rank 17th in the league in rushing yards allowed, as Parsons isn’t skilled enough by himself to make up for what is simply an average interior defensive line. Names like Elijah Mitchell could have a field day if they start hot and get out to an early lead.
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The 49ers might be able to run the ball on the Cowboys on Super Wild Card Weekend.
Mitchell ran for just under 1,000 yards despite being a rookie drafted in the sixth round. With 4.7 yards per carry behind one of the smaller, more athletic offensive lines in the league, Mitchell has been one of the tone-setters for this offense.
One other player who could give the Cowboys some legitimate headaches is Deebo Samuel. After competing stride for stride with Cooper Kupp in receiving yards early in the year, Samuel lined up in the backfield due to injuries at running back. All he did was run for 356 yards and eight touchdowns while remaining an elite receiver.
Deebo 👏 does 👏 it 👏 all
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 19, 2021
📺 #ATLvsSF on CBS pic.twitter.com/suJjBqeiWf
Will players like Neville Gallimore and Osa Odighizuwa be able to corral this rushing attack? Considering that San Francisco has been the best team in the league when it comes to neutralizing even future Hall of Famers like Aaron Donald, the Dallas front is likely not going to frighten them.
While Garoppolo is a solid quarterback, the best formula for success involves the Cowboys making this offense one-dimensional and forcing Garoppolo to win this game with his arm along. If the 49ers get going on the ground, we could see a repeat of the Raheem Mostert game against the Packers.
