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3 teams Cowboys are most likely to face in 2022 NFL Playoffs

By Randy Gurzi

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 11: Donovan Wilson #6 of the Dallas Cowboys and Tarell Basham #93 tackle Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at AT&T Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 11: Donovan Wilson #6 of the Dallas Cowboys and Tarell Basham #93 tackle Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at AT&T Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The Dallas Cowboys haven’t locked up a playoff berth yet, but at 10-3, it would take a complete meltdown for them to miss out on the postseason this year. Instead, their focus is on catching the Philadelphia Eagles and taking the No. 1 seed and NFC East title.

That won’t be easy, especially since they’ve already lost once to the Eagles. Instead, they’re more likely to be on the field in the Wild Card round, and here are the three teams they’re most likely going to face.

3 teams Cowboys should prepare for in 2022 NFL playoffs

Cowboys
George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers runs the ball against the Dallas Cowboys. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /

3. San Francisco 49ers

This would be quite the rematch, as the Cowboys played the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs last season, and lost 23-17. The Niners ended up making the NFC Championship Game, but it still felt like a missed opportunity for the 12-win team — who happened to be playing at home.

Should the two teams meet again this year, that will change. With Dallas likely making it to the playoffs as a Wild Card team, they will be on the road against a division winner, and the San Francisco 49ers are expected to win the NFC West.

Major Weapons Cowboys Must Prepare for on 49ers Offense

San Francisco has several huge weapons to worry about, starting with running back Christian McCaffrey. Their in-season addition has been quite the pick-up, and has helped their offense stay on task, even with countless injuries.

Wideout Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle are also dangerous, although Samuel hasn’t been healthy in weeks.

https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1603566367726194688?s=20&t=H9KbHN_xylMEDIE59fjtCw

Still, all three can take over a game, and if that’s not enough, Brandon Aiyuk has become a weapon out wide as well.

Major Weapons Cowboys Must Prepare for on 49ers Defense

Can we count the whole defense?

The 49ers have the best defense in the NFL this season, and it possesses no weaknesses. Their best player is Nick Bosa, who constantly has his way with opposing offensive linemen. There’s also Fred Warner, one of the best linebackers in the game, and a very underrated Dre Greenlaw, who lines up next to him.

Concerning Matchup for Cowboys

On offense, it’s McCaffrey against this suspect run defense. Johnathan Hankins was added as a run-stuffer, and he recently went to IR. They hope he will return, but if not, this will be a huge advantage for San Francisco.

As for the other side of the ball, it will be Bosa against whoever is at right tackle. Bosa lines up as a left end, and while Terence Steele might have held his own, his recent injury means Jason Peters or Josh Ball might be across from him. Neither choice is ideal against Bosa.

Cowboys’ Greatest Advantage

There’s one huge advantage for Dallas, and it’s under center. Dak Prescott is a superior player to Brock Purdy, a seventh-round rookie. Purdy has been playing extremely well since stepping in, but the playoffs are a different animal (yes, even different than Seattle on the road) and he might not be ready to face this fast-paced defense.

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