Cowboys vs 49ers Divisional Round: history, key players, projection
By Riley Donald
On to the Divisional Round. The intensity and the focus only continues to turn up a notch from this point moving forward. Eight teams remain alive and this is when careers can be made, narratives written, and lives changed. Buckle up. Can the Cowboys turn the corner?
The Dallas Cowboys enter this matchup after looking utterly dominant against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They clicked on every cylinder. Dak Prescott answered the bell and played the best game of the career when he needed it most. The defense was lights out against Tom Brady. It was a fantastic showing. Well, besides kicking, but I am going to choose to believe the last made extra point straightened things out.
The San Francisco 49ers come into this game off of a strong showing themselves in their handling of the Seattle Seahawks in their Wild Card matchup. They are led by rookie quarterback and “Mr. Irrelevant” Brock Purdy who is playing like a seasoned veteran.
Cowboys vs #49ers on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. PT for 9th time ever in the playoffs (Dallas has won 5 of them). That will be tied for the most common playoff matchup in NFL history:
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) January 17, 2023
Rams vs Cowboys 9 times
49ers vs Packers 9 times
The Cowboys and 49ers for a spot in the NFC Conference Championship is as good as it gets for NFL football. Time to dive into the history, two players who can come up big under the bright lights, and a gut prediction on who survives.
Cowboys vs 49ers: History, key matchups, and prediction
Cowboys vs 49ers: Matchup History
All-time Record: 19-18 in favor of the Dallas Cowboys (5-3 postseason record in favor of the Dallas Cowboys)
Most recent result: San Francisco 49ers 23, Dallas Cowboys 17 on January 16, 2022
This matchup is arguably one of the most storied in the history of the NFL playoffs. These two teams have met in four NFC Championship games splitting a 2-2 record. Each team has five Super Bowl rings and is desperately on the hunt for number six. This matchup carries an immense amount of weight.
49ers vs Cowboys, sports fans: For the *9th* time in NFL playoff history.
— Brian Murphy (@knbrmurph) January 17, 2023
It's your Grandpa's playoff rivalry (1970-71-72)
It's your Dad's playoff rivalry (1981, 1992-93-94)
It's your rivalry (2021, 2022)#49ers #Cowboys
The story is flipped a bit from the last meeting which was also a playoff game. Last year, the Cowboys were the division winners hosting the Wild Card 49ers. The roles are flipped completely this year as Dallas hits the road to take on the 49ers. Everyone recalls last years’ ending with the Cowboys’ clock mismanagement ultimately dooming them in as they didn’t have enough time to run a play and lost by a mere six points.