Returning to the playoffs for the first time since the 2018 season, the Dallas Cowboys will be hosting the San Francisco 49ers. This is the first time these two franchises have met in the postseason since the NFC Championship in 1995, where Steve Young led the 9ers to a 38-28 victory enroute to an eventual Lombardi Trophy. This time, we hope the result is different.
Both teams enter this playoff matchup with momentum following victories against divisional rivals. In Week 18, San Francisco was able to claw their way back from a 17-0 deficit to come out victorious against the Los Angeles Rams in a 27-24 overtime victory. On the other hand, Dallas humiliated the Philadelphia Eagles, displaying the potential of their high-powered offense in a 51-26 victory. The 49ers ended the regular season with a 10-7 record, while the Cowboys ended up at 12-5, their first 12 win season since 2014.
San Francisco is one of the best running teams in football, a philosophy that their head coach Kyle Shannahan believes strongly in. The 49ers ran a staggering 499 rushes during the regular season, which ranks them for the fifth most in the entire NFL. Part of this is due to Shanhan’s love for his outside zone running scheme. However, it’s also an attempt by the coach to hide the team’s number one deficiency: their quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo is a very mediocre signal caller, and he happens to be the true weak spot on this 49er offense.
The biggest difference between these two franchises, and what I believe will be the biggest difference in this Wild Card matchup, is at quarterback. Jimmy G finished the season with 3,810 passing yards, while throwing 20 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions. These numbers on their own are not terrible, resulting in a 98.7 passer rating. However, they don’t highlight his obvious deficiencies, which include attacking the middle and deep parts of the field. Additionally, when comparing Garoppolo to Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott, the 49ers seem to be at a huge disadvantage. Dak recovered from the brutal ankle injury he suffered in 2020 and finished his 2021 season with impressive numbers, throwing for 4,449 yards and 37 touchdowns. He only threw 10 interceptions, giving him a strong passer rating of 104.2. When comparing the two quarterbacks, it’s very easy to see Dallas has a clear advantage, as Dak ranks near the top of the league in almost every relevant quarterback statistic.
Offensively, both teams are stacked with weapons. The 49ers trout out Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Elijah Mitchell at their skill positions. Samuel is one of the most talented players in the league, with flexibility to play both receiver and running back. He finished his 2021 season with over 1,400 receiving yards and 365 rushing yards. He posted a remarkable 18.2 yards per reception, showcasing how much of a big play threat he is. Aiyuk and Kittle can also give defenses fits due to their impressive athleticism and skill in the open field. Finally, Elijah Mitchell had nearly a 1,000 yard season on the ground, while only appearing in 11 contests.
For Dallas, they have surrounded their franchise quarterback with a plethora of options. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are a formidable duo at the running back position, while Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb make up one of the most talented duos at wide receiver. Dalton Schultz has had a breakout year for Dallas at tight end, recording career highs in receptions, yards, yards per catch, and touchdowns. The Cowboys have the talent to beat teams through both the ground game and airing the ball out, which was evident through their league leading offense in both yards and points scored.
While both teams possess massive amounts of talent on the offensive side of the ball, there are also a ton of studs on the defensive side. As has been the case for multiple years now, the 49ers are absolutely stacked with talent in their front seven. Nick Bosa is known to all football fans, and he delivered another splendid season in 2021, finishing with 15.5 sacks. Alongside him, the 9ers possess Arik Armstead, Samson Ebukam, and D.J. Jones. At linebacker, the duo of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw ranks up there with any other tandem in the league. The weakest spot of the San Fran defense is their secondary, as they have allowed over a 68% completion percentage and a 97 passer rating against them.
One of the biggest stories of the 2021 season has been the turnaround of the Dallas defense, initiated by the hiring of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Highlighted by rookie sensation Micah Parsons and league leading interception leader Trevon Diggs, the Dallas defense finished the regular season with 34 takeaways, earning the number one spot in the league in that category. On the defensive line, Dallas is able to rush the passer with a plethora of options that include DeMarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory, Micah Parsons, Neville Gallimore, Trysten Hill, and Osa Odighizuwa. Outside of Trevon Diggs, the secondary is made up of Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis, Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson, and Damontae Kazee. Quinn has used his safeties in the box a lot this season, playing next to former first round pick Leighton Vander-Esch at linebacker.
Both the 49ers and the Cowboys rank among the top of the league with talent on their respective rosters. This has the makings to be one of the best and most highly anticipated playoff games this weekend. It should be a great game with all the talent that will be on the field. I believe the difference at quarterback will be the deciding factor in this game, with my prediction of the Dallas Cowboys winning their Wild Card matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
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